continue to struggle so long as its heroes do nothing."
"The time for calling ourselves heroes has long been gone," I snappily petitioned. "The time of heroes is over."
"Are you familiar with the science behind an aphelion and a perihelion?" the Commander inquired, bidding to change my mind.
"Please, elaborate," I commanded. I had heard the terms before, but my memory hadn't chosen to serve me well.
"If anything in this universe happens to orbit a star, it reaches a point of aphelion when it's farthest from its sun," Zero explained. "During this elliptical revolution, when the point in orbit comes closest to its star, a state of perihelion is achieved. Doctor, you've just passed from out of your aphelion, and through your return, we've all come within touch of perihelion. Our star has come near. Will you help us reach for it?"
"We'll just see about that," I sneered.
I looked back over to Captain Sentria. She was proudly holding herself up. I was almost convinced she took faith in Zero's zeal, but her eyes told a different story. It was all an act. She was putting on a show, just playing along. Her allegiance clearly wasn't to the Commander or the Thralldom. Zero didn't know it and I expect no one else did either, save for me. What exactly was Sentria up to? If she wasn't a Thrall at heart, what on Earth was she?
I then turned back to the Commander, "I'll help you with your little mission into the wasteland, but then I'm gone. I want no more of this."
The Commander respectfully saluted with a fist over his heart. "You'll find a full dossier on Fever Island up in your chamber. I trust you remember the way. It's the same place it's always been, just the way you left it."
Sentria then held up my confiscated contraband, the Dragon's Tooth and the Dragon's Throat. "You'll be needing these back. It was an honor to hold them for you."
As I retrieved my armaments, I studied her one last time. Eventually, I knew everything would play itself out. In the meantime, I thought it best that I keep the knowledge of her performance to myself. Making my way back toward the entrance, I didn't get very far when a thought came to mind.
"Oh, one last thing," I said as I swung back around.
"Anything," obliged Zero.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I might find Choke, my old assistant." The chess of our conversation wasn't quite over. I had just moved one last pawn with the drop of that name.
It took Zero by great surprise. "Dr. Chokeberry? You're friend disappeared when you did. Went missing after you left and hasn't been seen since. There's a rumor that he fled into the outer wasteland, but nothing survives out there for very long. Odds are, he probably got flicked a long time ago. I'm sorry."
His answer revealed no trace of lying, but even so, there was still the possibility that Zero wasn't telling me the whole truth. I had only asked about him because Chokeberry seemed like a match for the Underlord on Fever Island. Choke had assisted me with my creations since the very beginning. He was easily genius enough to advance the Blood Tech beyond my control. All the same, I didn't want Zero to know what I was thinking. I thought it best to keep my perceptions to myself.
"Sad to hear," I devised. "I had something to tell him."
After turning to leave, I was almost gone before Zero called out from behind, "What was it that you wanted to say?"
"That our life's work wasn't worth it," I replied with my head swiveled just enough so that I didn't have to fully turn to face him.
Zero mocked, "The power we shared was boundless. We became God to this planet, if only for a little while. Was that not worth everything?"
Entering into a reserved rage, I warned, "If you want to play God, there's something you should know. God didn't destroy the world, he saved what was left of it. It's us that killed each other."
Stepping away from him, I can only imagine what his reaction must've been. He was out of sight, but I could feel his ice blue
"The time for calling ourselves heroes has long been gone," I snappily petitioned. "The time of heroes is over."
"Are you familiar with the science behind an aphelion and a perihelion?" the Commander inquired, bidding to change my mind.
"Please, elaborate," I commanded. I had heard the terms before, but my memory hadn't chosen to serve me well.
"If anything in this universe happens to orbit a star, it reaches a point of aphelion when it's farthest from its sun," Zero explained. "During this elliptical revolution, when the point in orbit comes closest to its star, a state of perihelion is achieved. Doctor, you've just passed from out of your aphelion, and through your return, we've all come within touch of perihelion. Our star has come near. Will you help us reach for it?"
"We'll just see about that," I sneered.
I looked back over to Captain Sentria. She was proudly holding herself up. I was almost convinced she took faith in Zero's zeal, but her eyes told a different story. It was all an act. She was putting on a show, just playing along. Her allegiance clearly wasn't to the Commander or the Thralldom. Zero didn't know it and I expect no one else did either, save for me. What exactly was Sentria up to? If she wasn't a Thrall at heart, what on Earth was she?
I then turned back to the Commander, "I'll help you with your little mission into the wasteland, but then I'm gone. I want no more of this."
The Commander respectfully saluted with a fist over his heart. "You'll find a full dossier on Fever Island up in your chamber. I trust you remember the way. It's the same place it's always been, just the way you left it."
Sentria then held up my confiscated contraband, the Dragon's Tooth and the Dragon's Throat. "You'll be needing these back. It was an honor to hold them for you."
As I retrieved my armaments, I studied her one last time. Eventually, I knew everything would play itself out. In the meantime, I thought it best that I keep the knowledge of her performance to myself. Making my way back toward the entrance, I didn't get very far when a thought came to mind.
"Oh, one last thing," I said as I swung back around.
"Anything," obliged Zero.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where I might find Choke, my old assistant." The chess of our conversation wasn't quite over. I had just moved one last pawn with the drop of that name.
It took Zero by great surprise. "Dr. Chokeberry? You're friend disappeared when you did. Went missing after you left and hasn't been seen since. There's a rumor that he fled into the outer wasteland, but nothing survives out there for very long. Odds are, he probably got flicked a long time ago. I'm sorry."
His answer revealed no trace of lying, but even so, there was still the possibility that Zero wasn't telling me the whole truth. I had only asked about him because Chokeberry seemed like a match for the Underlord on Fever Island. Choke had assisted me with my creations since the very beginning. He was easily genius enough to advance the Blood Tech beyond my control. All the same, I didn't want Zero to know what I was thinking. I thought it best to keep my perceptions to myself.
"Sad to hear," I devised. "I had something to tell him."
After turning to leave, I was almost gone before Zero called out from behind, "What was it that you wanted to say?"
"That our life's work wasn't worth it," I replied with my head swiveled just enough so that I didn't have to fully turn to face him.
Zero mocked, "The power we shared was boundless. We became God to this planet, if only for a little while. Was that not worth everything?"
Entering into a reserved rage, I warned, "If you want to play God, there's something you should know. God didn't destroy the world, he saved what was left of it. It's us that killed each other."
Stepping away from him, I can only imagine what his reaction must've been. He was out of sight, but I could feel his ice blue
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