“Minister Shirra! Minister Shirra! Oh my! You won’t believe it!Kantootha, with elegant violet tentacles waving, burst into the luminous quarters of the Minister, a place of modern wonder, factually existing in two realities at once, but occupying one space. Interspersed throughout the collection of rooms were pieces of ancient, archaic Terran furniture. Calm down, Kantootha,” said the Trantken Minister. "I’m sure whatever it is cannot be that urgent.” Shirra, a luminous being himself standing nearly twelve feet tall with blooms of tentacles where humans would have arms, rose from his sixty million year old oak wooden desk, a gift from his friend, the Human Minister. He removed one of his left tentacles from the liquid sphere hovering two inches above the desk’s surface and turned to face his aide.“Now Kantootha, what is it?”“Many pardons Minister Shirra, I did not know you were working so late.”Shirra glanced back at the sphere, an informational tesseract used by the members of their order for research. It was essentially a link to a vast library.“No pardons are necessary. I was looking for precedent in the upcoming negotiations with the newly discovered race of sentient beings. Randolph and I are to present our case for contact this very day.”Kantootha passed a tentacle over his furrowed brow.“That is the problem Minister.”With his perfectly round eyes still exhibiting the calm of an elder, Shirra looked at his aide questioningly.“Your meaning Kantootha?” He asked. “Has something happened to my good friend Randolph?”“No Shirra, not just Minister Randolph, but every Human.”“Clarify.”“Minister, as far as we can tell every mainline Human on every world throughout the Conjoining has vanished.”A look of incredulity spread across the face of the Trantken Minister.“What … did you say?”“Yes Minister, every last one. They, they’re all gone.”Ripples, small undulations of wonder and fear worked through what would have passed for the Trantken’s stomach eons ago, waves of urgency, waves of fear, and concern.“Are you certain?”“Absolutely, Minister. It’s being broadcast Conjoining wide.”An unprecedented event in the history of the Inter-Galactic Civilization of the Conjoining had occurred. One of the elder races had completely vanished from existence. Younger races had passed before, usually through self-destruction. This was expected, something that occurred from time to time prior to, or just after a younger race was contacted by a stellar race. But never in the annals of trans-galactic history, even before the creation of the Conjoining had a stellar race, especially an elder race, simply winked out of existence.“Call us a portal Kantootha.”“It is done Minister Shirra. One awaits us just outside your quarters.”The magisterial minister moved swiftly through his quarters, gathering luminous floating data structures, absorbing them into his being as his readied himself for travel.“Current status of the crisis?”“The Galacticum is preparing to convene. You were very deep in your research. I’ve been trying to reach you for some time.”“Yes, I was indeed deeply absorbed in the realms of the tesseract, searching the various possibilities of our collective future with these sentients based on precedent.”“I thought as much, that’s why I rushed over.”The Minister touched a glowing pentagonal hovering just above his head. It seemed to bristle with dancing numbers and symbols. “Interesting that this … happening should occur as I’m so deeply involved in research to plot our futures.”“We still cannot predict with certainty,” offered his aide.“No Kantootha, we cannot. We are not in control of everything just yet.”“Indeed Minister.”“Have all our brethren departed?” Asked Shirra.“They are either already there or en-route. We will not make a late appearance if we leave now.”“Then let us be off.”The two Trantken stepped though the glowing entryway that served as the door to Shirra’s quarters. Outside was a vast hallway, illuminated from either side by bright dancing colors. It was almost fifty yards wide and open to the sky. The sky itself was a dance of colors, full of glowing clouds, dotted with massive curved lattice structures that looked as thought they were made of gossamer. Behind the clouds was the great expanse of stars that Humans had long ago named the Milky Way.The two Trantken looked into the southern sky and saw a distinct set of pointed lights heading directly toward them. The lights were like stars, elongated and stretching as they fell from the sky. Their appearance, a function of space and time, made them seem as though they stretched across the universe, approaching the Trantken on one end, connecting to a cluster of light and stars on the other end, a faraway galactic core. The stars entwined as they fell, a manifestation of quantum/mental entanglement queued only to the Minister and his aide, visible only to their eyes. The light like stars made contact, and the two Trantken appeared to wink out of existence.From their vantage point, as they exited real-space, they were rising into the ether. They passed the constructs in the sky and moved outward into space. The world they had just left was spread out before them, vast, planets connected, curved in some areas, flattened in others, an intricate dance of planets and pieces of planets connected by various atmospheres and living machines. It was a marvel of local, sentient technology, completed during the time of the Trantken, the Humans, and a myriad number of other local races’ rise to prominence.It was old, but not as old as the mode of travel they were now employing. The portals were actually controlled wormholes, artificially created by a race of beings that strode the spaceways eons before the Conjoining. A race that had left civilization in a great exodus to explore the far reaches of the universe, beings whose name was so ancient it is no longer remembered. However, despite the fact their name was forgotten, their exodus was not.Many extreme elder races recalled the time when the unnamed left the Galaxies of the Local Group for places unknown. Departure took many a year. Some of their kind were rumored to still abound in quiet corners of the still vast and unexplored regions of the Galaxies. For even though the universe beckons, there are still places far beyond the view of great sentients. It is from just such a corner of the Milky Way Galaxy the new race with which Shirra was negotiating had come.As he spread his tentacles against the supple walls of the wormhole, hard mathematics given physical form, he wondered if the Humans had retreated to such a corner.He thought not.A race in exodus does not simply vanish overnight. It isn’t possible, especially not for a race as pervasive as Humans. There was a Human presence on a majority of the worlds in almost all of the civilized Galaxies.They came into galactic prominence about the same time as the Trantken. Though the Trantken had not struggled so much to achieve as had the Humans, they felt a mutual kinship with each other, as the youngest races on the Galactic scene at the time. Over the past millions of years that relationship had not changed, which is why Shirra would find it so hard to believe Randolph would not have told him of such an event. They were like brothers.Shirra looked down on the point from which they were ascending. The majesty of the Nexus lay before him. The sentients of the Milky Way Galaxy had come together at the Great Galactic core to create Nexus-Septum, in accordance with the Trans-Galactic precepts of the Conjoining.It was the seat of governance amongst the member races of the Milky Way Galaxy. However, all races did not belong. Some were not yet advanced enough, others simply chose not to be a part. Rather, they preferred to remain totally independent, dealing with the sentients of the Conjoining at their leisure.Those who did participate enjoyed membership in the most profound union of sentients among the many Galaxies of the Local Group. It made races like the Trantken, Haossus, Umiate, and Human quite proud, but not arrogant. All truly advanced species knew the universe was still a place of wonder and mystery.Apparently in response to this belief the universe had seen fit to present the Conjoining with the greatest mystery of all time.Shirra watched as his beautiful home receded and the wormhole carried them far across intergalactic space. Though gated travel was very routine, it would forever hold a wonder for him. He never tired of the awe-inspiring view. The tremendous distances covered in hardly any time at all translated through the physics of the gate to be perceived by the mind as a relatively short jaunt.Ahead of him his destination came into view. The supposed sister galaxy of his own, but one that had spawned galactic governance far before his. It was the true seat of power in the Local Group. The place his friend Randolph had referred to reverently as Great Andromeda. To Shirra it was simply the Great Galaxy. His race attached no mythos to their ancient name for the wondrously bright collection of stellar matter. At the core of the Great Galaxy was a governing capital much like the one he had just left. It was there to which he was now speeding.As he entered the Great Galaxy, passing the stars of Andromeda at the speed of thought, the capital came into view. It was much larger than the capital of the Milky Way simply because it came before. It was not the first and surely would not be the last. But for now it was the center, that which held the rest together.It was Nexus-Prime.A collection of star systems filled with the million million accomplishments of billions of sentients. Worlds crafted in between worlds, tying worlds together in a majestic work of art that could be seen light years away. The wormhole angled towards this regal place, towards the grand capital of the Conjoining, the center of the Great Galaxy in Andromeda, and all her sister galaxies.The bright, bursting light of approach blocked all vision. When next he opened his eyes he had arrived. Nexus-Prime greeted him with surreal majesty. He looked up and the conveying wormhole was vanishing off into space. Nexus-Prime looked much like his own home Nexus-Septum, just larger by many orders of magnitude. It too was constructed according to precept.Before him, off in the distance, a silver sphere the size of a city loomed. Directly in front of him was a glowing disc of light, a gateway of a different sort. Two guards, humanoid in appearance, stood watch.“Minister Shirra of the Trantken,” one of the guards said. “We welcome you.”He bowed deeply and gestured towards the gate. Shirra bowed back, as did Kantootha. Then, Kantootha grabbed the minister’s tentacle and urged him on.“Come Minister Shirra,” he whispered. “They’ve probably already started.”Shirra walked with his aide into the disc of light.“Patience Kantootha. Representatives of our race are no doubt already in attendance.”“Yes Minister, but you must be there as well.”Shirra smiled as they appeared on the other side of the light. Transport allocation and planning was down to the last sentient. After a voyage from one galaxy to the next, the system controlling the wormhole provided a dimensional thruway to the meeting hall inside the sphere. Shirra and Kantootha appeared in their waiting room, right behind their allotted spaces in the Great Hall of the silver sphere.“Come Kantootha,” the minister gestured. “We are finally here, you may take your seat.”Shirra heard the younger Trantken sigh, a very humorous act, something not customarily done among a race so old. But Shirra did have to concede that it was a time for sighing. The mystery before them was great and he had no idea how ardently it would tax them all before revealing its truth. The walked from the waiting room into their assigned slots for the hall. Kantootha took his seat behind the minister. The minister sat on what appeared to be a glowing patch of light and his mind went into rapture.“THE GALACTICUM IS CONVENED!” Came the booming voice of the Galacticum AI into the mind of every sentient there gathered.It was the call to join. At the center of the spherical hall was a smaller sphere, glowing with intense, alternating shades of silver and blue. It was the ancient Galacticum Artificial Intelligence, capable of displaying, combining, and guiding images of thought and reality.Its systems tied the minds of each Conjoining Representative together. It sorted and directed every issue that was to be debated. It served as the impartial arbiter between the great minds of the great races.That day, it began processing what was already being considered the most incredible incident in history. Shirra tied his mind into the joining, listening to the side conversations already in progress. They would quickly turn to him and his contingent, since they were widely considered the closest to humanity in dealings and endeavors.“INTER-GALACTIC YEAR 651 PARA 9, CONJOINING DAY 120.”Shirra listened to the AI announce the meaningless date. Even after millions of years of evolution, many sentients stuck to calendar structures. The Inter-Galactic year was built upon the physical center of expansion of the known universe. It was forever linear and even among the eldest races was considered to lack emotion and color.It was boring.“THE ISSUE OF NOTE IS THE DISSAPPEARANCE OF THE MEMBER RACE HUMAN. PLEASE BEGIN.”Immediately the thoughts of one of the elder races from Nexus-Prime emerged.“Humans have evolved to the level of Elders in the Inter-Galactic schema, Elders with considerable power and influence. They have been and still are involved in many of the most important matters of the Conjoining. Even now they and the Trantken are negotiating trade with the new race from the fourth quadrant of their own galaxy. Their sudden disappearance is a matter of the utmost importance. All the considerable might of the Conjoining should be put towards discovering what has happened to them. The Humans must be brought back.”Shirra knew this one; she could be long winded, but her thoughts rang true.“I have prepared to dispatch my races entire fleet in the search,” came the thoughts of another Andromedan, a sentient whose people could be considered middle aged, but possessed of the largest, and most powerful fleet in the entire Local Group"The Galacticum agreed to this as one. Orders were drafted as soon as the combined thought was completed and the AI dispatched them to the appropriate destinations. The resources of entire star systems were being mobilized. Great Fleets were on the move.It would not take long for them to report back with their first findings. In the meantime, the debate would continue in other directions. Shirra sat back and relaxed, letting his mind ebb and flow with the thoughts of the others. When the minds of the Galacticum were brought together in such a manner, there was no telling how long the debate might last. Shirra had been linked for months at a time, he and Randolph both. This Human mystery could go on for years. But of course, that would be totally intolerable.As time passed, many questions were posed to Shirra. It was quickly being affirmed that he was the immediate expert on Humans. It was an appellation, which was probably not far from the truth. Humans were pervasive on a great many worlds. They had contact with almost every race in the Conjoining. In the time of their evolution they had mated with several other races.The minds of the sphere quickly explored this avenue. It was just as quickly verified that no sentient born of a Human/Non-Human mating had been affected. They were still present in the Galaxies, many in Nexus-Prime. The Galacticum dispatched agents to question those that might have any pertinent information.Many lines of thought were traced and discussed. At times Shirra felt the debate become unwieldy, which is when the Galacticum AI would intervene. The debates were toned down and the lines of thought showing promise, and consensus ushered forward. This was when an errant thought straying through Shirra’s mind was grabbed by the AI and brought to light.“It has occurred to me a festival of Human passage was being celebrated in my own Milky Way Galaxy during this time.”Thoughts bombarded him asking about the festival, wanting to know the importance of it and how did it tie into what was now being called the Great Vanishing.“Please fellow sentients,” Shirra urged.The sphere of the Galacticum AI toned down the tumult.“I didn’t think it was of importance, but nothing should be left to chance,” Shirra said.He paused to pull the attention of all minds upon him completely.“My fellow representatives, among many of us our birth worlds have long been forgotten. Perhaps some members of our great races easily recall their planet of origin. The locations of these planets are of course a matter of record. But for sentients such as ourselves, who call the trillion stars our home, the birth planet is even less than a memory.”The minds of the Galacticum listened to Shirra in earnest. He was well respected and many of them felt if anyone could solve this mystery he could.“This was the case for many of the Humans as well. They didn’t know or care where their homeworld was. But this was not so for Minister Randolph, an integral member of this body who at this time is sorely missed, he knew of my fascination with his race, and often indulged my questions. Only now do I recall him telling me the star Sol was due to go nova. The birth world of the Human race, a world called Terra, or Earth by some, was to be or rather has been destroyed.”The Galacticum measured his thoughts and then posed its questions.“What is the importance of this event Minister Shirra,” asked a Trodosian of Andromeda. “Stars go nova. It’s a simple fact of existence.”“This is true, but I feel it is something that should not be overlooked. Though Randolph and the majority of Humans felt no emotional ties to their race’s ancient birth world, some of their species did. As I recall, there was to be a festival among the worlds of the Sol sector. A commemoration to the star system that gave life to so much.”Suddenly a physical presence appeared in the minds of the Galacticum. It was an avatar representation of an intelligence agent of the Fleet. He requested an audience and it was granted.“Ministers, so far we have not found any trace of the Humans. Whole planets are devoid of them. There are no signs of their passing through any levels of Hyperspace.”“Dimensional migration to an alternate reality?” Asked an Umiate.“Not so far Minister. However, we have dispatched vessels to further investigate this possibility.“I don’t think they would have gone that route in any case,” said another Trantken, who Shirra recognized as Doosa, his races’ transportation and navigation representative. A very capable and highly intelligent sentient.“Why is that?” Asked the Umiate.“We’re talking about the disappearance of an entire race. One hundred sentients, two hundred, even a thousand could escape our watchful navigational sentinels over dimensional bridge wormholes. But if anything above several thousand beings tried to jump through the multiverse at once it would create too large a disturbance. We would know of it instantly, violently.”The Galacticum quickly agreed. However, the Fleet would continue to search along the many pathways to alternate realities. The Great Vanishing was an impossibility in itself, who knew what other impossibilities could have accompanied it.“Ministers, I have one other item to report.”The Galacticum gave its consent as one to proceed.“There was a tremendous gathering in the Milky Way Galaxy near the Sol system, from where I have just come. The event is registered with administrators at Nexus-Septum as the Last Day of Sol. Sentients had gathered to observe the sun as it went Nova and many are still there.”The thoughts of the Galacticum all directed towards Shirra. The timing of the agent’s announcement was lost on no one.“What word from the sentients at the festival?” Shirra asked the agent.“We are currently interviewing Minister.”The Galacticum felt a decision being made in Shirra’s thoughts.“I sense the death of the star Sol may somehow be involved in the mystery we now face,” he said.An Umiate minister’s thoughts surged to the front. “Minister Shirra, I see no connection. What is to be gained by following this line of thought, by diverting resources to investigate with action.”“Minister, we can rule out nothing at this point. Please bear in mind billions of sentients have suddenly vanished without a trace, seemingly overnight. We must follow every thread of thought, no matter how dubious.”Consensus could be sensed following Shirra’s wise thoughts.“I and my aide will accompany the agent back to the Fleet. There we will use due diligence in the acquisition of facts and report back to the Galacticum forth with.”Once again there was consensus.Shirra pulled himself from the combined mind of the Galacticum and rose from the rapture chair. He took a moment to gather himself and turned away from the mighty sphere of thoughts. Kantootha was seated in his chair at the aide’s rear support position. He was looking at several floating holo-screens at once reading excerpts of the debate. As an aide it was the only way he could participate in the joining of minds.“Come Kantootha, we are off.”“We’re off Minister?” Kantootha said looking from the screens. “But the issue … we’re no were near close to a true decisive action.”“So your excerpts may tell you, but I feel we are closer than some believe.”“Minister? Dispatching a fleet, jumping down dimensional bridges, scanning the multiple layers of hyperspace? These are all prudent actions but….”“I know Kantootha, but what else would you recommend?”Kantootha said nothing. He was quite brilliant, which was required to serve in the position he was in. Shirra could see all he was advocating was more mental debate on the issue. It was the way things were supposed to be done according to precept.Galactic civilization placed a great deal of faith in the combined mind of the Galacticum and it was not unfounded. The combined mental power of the sentients and the artificial intelligence had solved staggering problems in the past. But what Kantootha was missing from his training was that fact that sometimes issues required a more hands on approach.“Come, let us be off.”“Yes Minister.”They walked through the disc of light and appeared once more on the beautiful plains of Nexus-Prime. The agent was waiting for them.“Where are we going?” Kantootha asked as the starry brilliance of a portal closed in.“To the death of the origin of humanity, and perhaps a clue to this mystery.”All three vanished in a burst of light.When next they appeared they were standing on a vitreous surface. It was a vessel, a sphere in nature, but completely transparent. The agent walked over to a floating luminescent console and waved his hand over it. Telepathic contact was established with the Fleet.“What is this?” Kantootha asked.“We have arrived in a stasis orb,” the agent answered.“I’m aware of that,” Kantootha said testily. “I want to know what’s going on out there.”Kantootha waved a tentacle at the spectacle before his eyes. Outside the orb, space was littered with spaceships and artificial environments. The artificial environments, which were essentially flat, floating, pieces of planet maintained by stasis fields, were thick with sentients.“Several vessels of the Fleet have come here to investigate,” the agent stated placidly. “We have agents and officers of the Fleet interviewing observers of the nova event.”Shirra and Kantootha both watched the nova before their eyes. It was gorgeous. Intense colors that would be blinding if not for refraction fields shunting light away from them, coursed across the panorama of space. It was the death of a star. An intergalactic opera played out in a spectacular fashion for the mass of sentients there gathered.The great planets of the birth system of the race known as Humanity had been engulfed. All that remained was Sol, deep in its death throes, radiating energy ever outward.“The system had been completely vacated?” Asked Shirra.“Yes Minister. Humanity was a prodigious race. They had terraformed every planet in the system in one form or another. But as we all know, the great bulk of them soon forgot their homeworld. Records indicate custody of the Sol system had been maintained by a small sect of Humanity in the Aetian sector.“Oh? And who were they? I didn’t know any sentients of great number still resided in that sector”“Yes sir, the area had been set fallow. But the Humans who lived there had proper settlement rights and had been living there prior to the sector being officially abandoned. We have ships in the Aetian sector now. The primary planet of settlement is huge, designated listing is Purgatorio. It’s in a standard star system with twenty-two planets. Initial reports indicate all that was in the Sol system now resides or resided there.”“All?”“Everything except the Humans, of course.”Shirra nodded quietly, focusing his attention on the event before him.“Another odd thing Minister.”“Yes.”“The Humans there were one-hundred percent corporeal.”Shirra slowly turned towards the agent. “What?”“Yes sir. The Humans of Purgatorio maintained their ancient human characteristics. Nexus records have no information on this, but it can be assumed at some time they underwent a de-evolution of some type.”Shirra was taken aback. Sentients did not purposely de-evolve. The mystery was growing more convoluted. Humanity was a highly evolved race of energy beings. They could convert some of their energy to mass and thus resemble their ancient forms. Randolph used to do so incessantly. Only human genetic material combined with other sentients through cross breeding still yielded fully corporeal beings. Or at least so it was thought.“Are you sure they were full Humans?”“According to what investigators have found on Purgatorio, yes. And it would bear out Minister, since they’ve all disappeared too. We know sentients that were not fully Human did not vanish.”“That is correct.”“A planet of de-evolved Humans?” Kantootha looked perplexed. “But why Minister?”“I do not know, but it would appear Purgatorio will be our next stop.”“But we’re supposed to report back to the Galacticum once we leave Sol sector.”“In good time Kantootha, in good time.”Shirra turned back to the exploding star. “Agent?”“Yes Minister?”“This stasis orb, are its protection fields equipped with time referential filters?”“Yes Minister, full capabilities.”“Good. I want to observe the actual destruction of Sol. Isolate two images. The star and the planet Terra, maximum dilation and clarification.”“Yes Minister.”The agent passed a hand over the console. Two huge images appeared before them, eclipsing the dying star.“What are you looking for Minister?” Kantootha asked.“Something out of the ordinary.”“Excuse me?”“Purgatorio Kantootha. The name is familiar, but at this moment I cannot recall why. I’m actively searching my internal data-wells. I know I’ve never heard of this planet before, but the name reminds me of something ancient. Something distinctly Human and mythical.”“Did you actually say mythical Minister?”Shirra ignored his aide. He knew myth had no place in an investigation. Neither did instinct, but Shirra felt his instincts tugging at his near immortal form. He knew he would see something. And after hearing the word Purgatorio, he felt myth would come into play as well. On this he would wager the energies of his eternal being.“The images are coming up now Minister,” the agent said.The party of three watched through a window of time as Sol exploded. The agent tuned out positional distortion, a time factor emanating from the vast crowd nearby at that point in time.Shirra concentrated. Sol’s cleansing flame reached outward, engulfing the worlds of Mercury and Venus. As the flames licked the third planet, another bright light appeared. It was twice the size of Earth and as soon as it came into view, it was gone again.“What was that agent?”“I’m not sure Minister. I have a recorded image. I’ll enhance and display.”The image appeared on the screen. All three were more than a little surprised.“It’s a Human!” Kantootha exclaimed.“I’ve never seen a Human that big before,” said the Agent.Shirra stepped towards the image. He examined it closely. It indeed appeared to be a Human, a Human in partial energy phase, still retaining its ancient physical likeness. It was brilliant and quite literally two or three times the size of the planet. The Human appeared to look happy, but in a sad sort of way, as if it was resigned to something. Its hands cradled the planet Earth briefly, then all was engulfed in flame. But Shirra had seen one other thing that surprised him and put him further, no matter how unlikely, on the path of myth.“Did you notice Kantootha? Did you see it?”“How could I not Minister, it was huge! I mean, growth of that magnitude is not an impossibility, but the amount of energy that Human would have to have amassed—.”“No Kantootha.”“What Minister?”“It had wings, Kantootha. The Human had wings.”Kantootha didn’t say a word. He glanced back at the agent, whose face was a mask of stone. Everybody knew Humans didn’t have wings, energy form or not.“It had wings Kantootha. Reminiscent of an ancient being Randolph and I discussed out of Human lore. It was called an Angel.”Kantootha looked worried. He stared at his Minister, lost in the silence following Shirra’s strange words.“That is Purgatorio below Minister,” the agent said.They had decided to take the stasis orb with them to the planet. The Minister wanted the stored images with him and the orb would afford them much more maneuverability in the star system, maneuverability he felt they would need.Minister Shirra had not yet made an official report. His actions at the Sol system would already be a matter of record at the Nexus-Septum data-cluster. Through channels it would work its way back to Nexus-Prime, where the Galacticum would look at his findings with much skepticism. His mention of an archaic mythical Earth entity in the midst of a scientific inquiry could very well cause them to call into question his reasoning capabilities. Before that happened he wanted to find more information. He was sure an answer could be found below.“There are no artificial environments, no structures to be seen from orbit. What kind of planet is this agent?” Kantootha asked. “All I see are our Fleet ships.”“Despite the world’s primitive look, they were quite advanced. Most of their technology is underground. The cities on the surface of the planet are primitive beyond belief. All the planets in this system are like this and it appears this one was its capital.”“Take us down agent.”“Yes Minister.”As the agent began to program the orb’s descent, he touched his brow.“Minister, I’ve received a telepathic signal form the surface. Agents of the Fleet have found a half-Human, half-Zatai sentient in the largest city. They are questioning him now.”“Take us to their location immediately.”“Yes Minister.”The agent lowered the orb deftly through the atmosphere of the vast planet. Purgatorio was one of those unique planets of incredibly immense size still possessing a planetary surface. Its atmosphere had obviously been altered, since planets of this type rarely possessed enough of it to support life. The sky was an iridescent blue, with flecks of red. Shirra noted the sky and thought it to be quite beautiful.“Is that the capital below?” Kantootha asked, looking down through the floor of the orb.“Yes,” the agent replied. “As you can see, it is quite archaic.”“And quite familiar,” Shirra said.Both Kantootha and the agent looked at the Minister, who ignoring them both stared at the approaching city below.The agent landed the orb in the center of the old looking metropolis. They were in the middle of a wide thoroughfare. It wasn’t paved in any manner, modern or otherwise. It was a simple dirt road, not uncommon among frontier settlements. The agent caused the orb’s fields to become permeable and all three stepped outside. The agent gave a telepathic command, the orb unraveled, and shrank into a storage tesseract at his side.“What do you make of this place Minister Shirra?” Asked Kantootha.“It is a magnificent achievement.”“Sir?” The aide said, looking at his minister in amazement.“You do not recognize it, of course.”“And you do?”“Yes, from my studies with Randolph. As you know, he indulged my fascination with Human history. I know these structures quite well. This is a replica of a city from an era millions of years removed. I cannot be absolutely sure, but I believe it predates human flight, a time when they were very corporeal.”Kantootha was mystified. “But why? Why build it? What is it doing here? Is it some kind of monument to the past?”“I do not know, but I believe we will soon have our answers.”Shirra turned towards the agent. The question was answered without having to be asked.“We’re holding him in the structure on your left Minister.”All three turned to face a multi-spired edifice reaching up towards the sky. It wasn’t huge by their era’s standard of construction, but it was still a formidable structure.“And what is that?” Kantootha asked.“It is what the Humans called a Cathedral. A place where ancient corporeal Humans gathered to worship what they believed to be the one true deity.”“Are you serious?”“Quite. Oh, I know the Humans we dealt with never did such things. Randolph certainly never displayed a belief in a god. But I believe the Humans of this world did just that.”The Minister proceeded to walk into the vast Cathedral. The Galacticum agent of the Fleet and Kantootha followed. Inside the building were several rows of seats. It was just like the images Shirra had seen in his studies.The agent took the lead.They walked through a door made of wood into a back room, which the agents had turned into a temporary holding area. There, agents and officers of the Fleet were standing around a humanoid being seated serenely in an ancient wooden chair.The agent turned towards the Minister and after mentally asking permission, pulled Shirra into a telepathic link. He could better serve him this way and prevent possible harm from the unknown sentient. Shirra took another wooden chair and sat directly in front of the humanoid.“Greetings, can you understand me?”The humanoid tilted his head. He had a look of humor on his face, as if to say of course I can understand you.Shirra had seen this kind of sentient before, fully corporeal, with golden skin and thick long cords of hair. He had deep purple orbs for eyes and tiny hearing orifices. The joining of Human and Zatai had happened long before the majority of Humans evolved to the next level. There were enough hybrids from the joining of both races to perpetuate themselves as a species. They could almost be considered an ancient race unto themselves they had been around so long, but they didn’t involve themselves in Galactic affairs. Or any other affairs save their own, or so it was thought.“Of course I can understand you sir. I speak Gal-lang as well as the next sentient,” the Human/Zatai said matter-of-factly.“Yes, of course. Well, do you know who we are.”“As I’ve already told these others gathered around me, of course I do. You’re the Minister for whom I’ve been waiting. These others are witnesses. You are from the vast governmental structure that lingers in blindness.”“Blindness? Why do you say that?He looked at Shirra and smiled. “Because you cannot see,” he said simply.Shirra telepathically queried the agent. He wanted to know if the sentient possessed telepathic capabilities as well. He was satisfied to find he did not.“Do you know my name?”“Yes. As I’ve told you, I’ve been waiting for you. You’re Minister Shirra, honored among the Trantken.If Shirra were not a highly trained diplomat, the side of his face would have glowed purple, a normal Trantken response to surprise. He remained steady and bowed to the Human/Zatai, acknowledging his identity.“I am called Malachi,” the Human/Zatai said, bowing deeply in his seat towards the Minister.Shirra wasn’t impressed with this game of identities. It was time for answers and he would have them.“Now that we know who we are, I believe it is time for you to tell us a few things. What is this place? Why are you waiting for me?”“You already know Minister, deep down inside. But I shall tell you anyway.”“Please do,” replied the Minister nonchalantly.“You are in what we call the star system Israel, unlisted in the data-clusters of all known Nexuses. This world is named Purgatorio. This city is Jerusalem and we are seated in the main Cathedral of the Lord’s City.”Shirra felt a stirring inside and he didn’t know why.“You are in the star system, which resides on the very edge of the firmament Minister. I know why you have come and yes … I have your answers.”There was a stillness in the room. Everyone was hanging on the sentient’s words, but remained silent. The agent received another telepathic signal from Shirra. He willed an image from the stasis orb’s databanks to appear in the center of the room.“Can you tell me what this image is?” The Minister asked.The sentient bowed reverently before answering. “Honor and respect the messenger of the Lord God. He is Gabriel, who comes at the end time to trumpet the first of the last days.”“Gabriel? Is that the name of the being in this image?”“Yes. He is an Archangel of the Lord and a Prince of Heaven.”From behind the Minister came Kantootha’s skeptical voice. “You can’t possibly be serious.”The Minister waved a tentacle at him, telling him to be quiet.“You doubt the image before you?” Malachi asked. “Well, you do not doubt what has happened. I know that for fact. It is why you have come here.”“You really do know don’t you,” Shirra said.“Of course, Minister. This is the most glorious event in the history of all creation.”“You’re referring to the Great Vanishing?”“That is what you have called it in your blindness,” the sentient said, smiling serenely. “They have been called home, all of them, everything living. Only those of us who were not part of the original line remain. But our time is coming soon. As we always knew it would, our faith is justified.”“Faith? What are you saying?”Electricity was almost a tangible force in the air. The words Malachi had spoken went against all excepted Galactic conventions. What he was saying was already quite clear, but Shirra wanted to hear them spoken.“The Lord God has called his children home Minister. Sol has consumed the birth world in fire, as was written. As you yourself can see, the Great Angel of the Lord was on hand to announce the end.It was in that moment Minister that all Human beings of the original line, corporeal or energy, believers or non-believers, were called home to Heaven.”The room was in stunned silence. Nobody knew what to say to this revelation from the Human/Zatai sentient. Malachi sat there, looking quite smug from the shock he engendered in the representatives from the mighty Conjoining. Everyone was at a loss for words, except Shirra.Malachi was right about him. On some level deep within the vortices of energy that comprised his being he had felt this. He was not a believer in deities, just as his friend Randolph had not been, but something inside made Malachi’s words ring true. It was awful and beautiful at the same time. Shirra had so many questions, but he knew it was time to depart. These questions were of mighty import and required the answers to be given elsewhere.“Malachi, would you mind…?”“Of course, Minister,” Malachi said standing. “It is written I will accompany you to give witness among the great powers of the Galaxies. Nexus-Prime is our destination, yes?”Shirra stood as well. “Yes, yes it is.”“As it is written.”Malachi smiled, his countenance was beatific. Though in raw power he resided far below the most junior sentient in the room, it was they who were in awe of him.“None of you believe, Minister,” Malach said. “But at Nexus-Prime … you will.”The Minister said nothing as they walked out of the Cathedral. He ordered the agent to sever the telepathic link. He didn’t want anyone else to know. He didn’t want to speak it and he didn’t want others to feel it. He would wait, wait and see Malachi’s revelation. Only then, did he feel he would be able to deal with what he felt was happening inside. For without any empirical evidence whatsoever, just a time-dated image, and the words of a hybrid sentient, he was finding himself starting to believe.“Well,” he muttered under his breath. “Stranger things have happened.”Minister Shirra and Kantootha assumed their places in the Great Hall. The sphere of the Galacticum AI brought the Trantken’s mind into joining. In the reality of the meeting of the minds, the avatar of the sentient that was Malachi stood. He appeared proud and utterly without fear. He had yet to speak a word, yet Shirra felt derision among the other Ministers. Surprisingly enough, none of it was aimed towards him.By the time they had arrived, the image from Sol was already being debated. The majority had discarded it as non-pertinent to the proceedings. Some said it was Shirra’s keen interest in the missing race’s history clouding his judgment, the very thing the Minister wanted to avoid. He silenced his thoughts and minimized his presence to the others. After the present debates were completed, the Galacticum would turn to Malachi.Sentients revisited the issue of dimensional migration. Proof was posited debunking the theory entirely. There was simply no way the entire Human race could vanish from the Galaxies of the Local Group in such a manner. They would have made too much noise. Such a population trying to leave this reality for an adjacent one at one time would have had disastrous results on both continuums.Several officers and agents of the Fleet reported findings from all corners of the cosmos. Searching the various levels of hyperspace would take more time than there was of it. The chaotic reality just underneath this one was still over eight-five percent uncharted. Its physics allowed for shortcuts in travel, but its dimensions seemed to comprise more space than real space.It was true Humanity could have vanished among one of hyperspace’s many levels, but even the powerful form of Humanity to which Shirra’s friend Randolph belonged required a conveyance to navigate that realm. It was far more hazardous than travel by portal and the Fleet reported every registered vessel belonging to Humanity was still present. Even if they weren’t, there was still more Humanity than ships available to carry them.Scientific inquiries of all types abounded until an errant thought from an Umiate Minister inquired about the Humanoid at the center of their joining. The Galacticum AI immediately seized hold of all thoughts and directed them towards Malachi.“THE GALACTICUM RECOGNIZES THE SENTIENT MALACHI, A HUMAN/ZATAI HYBRID.”The Galacticum listened as Malachi spoke.“My name is Malachi. I am of the race Human/Zatai,” he said, intentionally correcting the AI’s appellation. “I hail from the world Purgatorio, in the Israel System. On that world I followed the tenets of a religion, which existed when the Conjoining was but a young thing.”The sentients of the Galacticum gasped in thought. First, the hybrid said religion. Second, it said a religion was active among their galaxies and older than the Conjoining.“Yes, it is true. Though religion is not at the core of your society, it is in mine. And yes, it is ancient. It is as old as some of the very worlds many of you were birthed on. Know me and the Lord I serve. I am Malachi the Jew, Malachi the Christian, and Malachi the Muslim. In the star system of Israel, the Lord’s chosen people retained the ways of their forebears, their likeness as well as their love for the Lord our God.I see you Ministers of the Galacticum. I know your thoughts. You think me a fool, but the proof is in front of you, in the Universe you think you’ve mastered. But the Lord is all powerful and he has shown you his strength.”Minister Shirra smiled. He was a bright star in the dark sea of Galacticum thought. Malachi was joy personified as he addressed his audience.“In Israel, we remembered the old ways. On Purgatorio we worked, worshipped, and waited. The world of the in between, it was our crucible. There we burned away all our inadequacies in preparation. In the intervening years we have received signs. God has made himself known to the faithful.”The tumult was growing. The Galacticum was still listening intently, but most of them were beginning to dismiss Malachi’s testimony outright. A minority was wondering if something beyond the realm of present knowledge had indeed occurred. Findings had already indicated as much, but now they were entertaining ideas beyond the supernatural. It was supranatural.Shirra would rally behind the minority. For he felt the truth of it in the electrons of his breast. The disappearance of Humanity went beyond them. To believe Malachi’s story required faith. Shirra had known Humans of all types, not just Randolph’s. There was no more thought to it, no more debating, he believed.“Great Ministers of the Galacticum. It was written I would come here to herald the end. Most of you have forgotten the religions of old. You will not believe it, but the undercurrents have often been the same. You just don’t remember. Know that the Lord God has called home Humanity! They were the first in a long line of many. The last days of this Universe are upon us.Do not search for those who have already gone. They are in a place none of your science can reach. I know, still you do not believe my words. But I am strong in the Lord and he has sent another to validate my testimony.”Minister Shirra watched through the eye of his mind, fascinated. Events such as this had never occurred. Now Malachi stood rigid in the middle of the minds. He stretched out his arms and held his face to the artificial, mental sky. Suddenly the impervious, impenetrable sanctum of the combined minds of the Galacticum … was penetrated.“ALIEN PRESENCE DETECTED! ALIEN PRESENCE DETECTED! ALL SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN NULLIFIED! NOTE, THE GALACTICUM IS COMPROMISED!”Before anyone could answer the AI’s pleas, the alien presence manifested. It was beyond anything anyone could describe. It pushed back the mental boundaries of the Galacticum, making room for its presence. It was so bright it blinded the mind. The image of Malachi was engulfed and in his place stood a giant beyond giants.The light dimmed and a being similar to the image Shirra saw at Sol stood before them. It was unimaginably tall, but apparently shrinking for convenience. Shirra reasoned it could easily stand astride three of four star systems. His mind pained with all the other Representatives of the Galacticum. The presence was testing even their vaunted mentalities, their powerful intellects. Its like had never before been recorded in any Nexus data-cluster, or so he thought.This was no mere alien. Just as Shirra had that thought, it spoke.“Behold! The angel of the Lord! I am Metatron!”His words were like a powerful song stampeding through their minds. They made the mightiest beings of the Galacticum tremble, beings who to lesser races in the cosmos were like gods themselves.“The Lord thy God has sent me, one who exists near the true center of all things, to bring you the truth. Look towards the wisdom within, feel the rightness in the words of Malachi, God’s prophet. For the end of creation is at hand and soon God will call you all home, believer and non-believer alike. And there, all will reside with Humanity, and others, until the Lord decides it is time to begin again.”And with that, he was gone.The minds of the Galacticum bounced back from the mental distances they had been stretched to accommodate the strange being. Only Malachi was left at the center, calm, collected, serene.An august Andromedan was the first to speak.“Galacticum AI?”“YES MINISTER.””Can you explain what just happened?”There was a pause, another something unprecedented. Never had the AI been at a loss for words.“NO MINISTER,” was its only reply.Shirra let his thoughts come to the fore.“It seems fellow members of the Galacticum we have our answer. God exists and it is with God that Humanity resides."Malachi looked upon the presence of Shirra’s mind and smiled. Shirra smiled in return. Then it started. Discussion among all the members exploded to a fevered pitch. This was no less than what Shirra expected.He had thought the investigation into where Humanity had gone would last far longer then it had. But no, he had his answer, as did they all. Now they would have to see who believed. Some would categorize it as an attack from an unknown alien entity. Some would discount it all together. These would continue searching for humanity along other lines.Shirra sensed the mystery of this new event would quite literally break the Galacticum into. He felt it implicitly and was sad. But it was the way of the Universe, one thing makes way after a time for another. Perhaps it was just their time.Shirra disengaged himself from the link. “Come Kantootha.”“Minister?’“It is time for us to leave.”“But Minister, the Galacticum has not yet adjourned. What of…”Shirra raised a tentacle, silencing his aide. He looked back at the sphere containing the purported center, the might of Galaxies.“No, I believe it has adjourned Kantootha, perhaps for the last time. Yes, I believe it has.”They walked through the disc and caught a portal on the other side.“Are we headed home Shirra?”“Yes Kantootha. We are headed back to Nexus-Septum.”“What will we do now?”“I have some research to perform Kantootha and you will help me. I seem to remember something from our races’ past, from a time to us immemorial, a legend Kantootha. A legend of an ancient, wise Trantken prophet, and the God she claimed was her father.”http://www.TheHandmill.comhttp://www.2rulesof3.comhttp://blog.2rulesof3.comhttp://shop.2rulesof3.com
Comments