Truth

As was often the case, She used words that were difficult to grasp. She spoke in a measured and clear tone regardless of the direness of the situation. It was easy to just assume that She didn’t care with such a presentation. But it was so that we would receive of Her untainted and approached with logic. Emotion would only impede the conveying.

She was right that I couldn’t comprehend it all. Though I understood enough. And that only introduced new questions. When She said ‘sterilized’ I knew the word, but how it was being applied in the context of our home didn’t make sense. How can something sterilize everything? The scale was beyond comprehension. Only divinity could work at such a scope.

“Ministra, is there no means to change this? To protect us from this sterilization?”

“Clarification, local Eshikra, define the word ‘Ministra’ meaning is unknown.”

Unknown? That made me step back a moment. She was Ministra, that should be obvious. But I guess the more that I consider it, we never speak to Her. And She only ever speaks in prophecy to us. Anything that we know about Ministra was conjecture based on the words provided. Even the name came from the Pillar, from Origin. Is that wrong?

Heist looked at me with the expectation that I answered. I sort of forgot that he was with me as I got engrossed with being able to speak with Her. And yet he’s been silent the whole time. I would have figured that he’d try to step in or take command. Why is he insisting on me continuing? I don’t want to stop, but it was surprising.

I straightened back up to face Her. “Ministra is your name. It was etched into the Pillar of Origin and You speak from the Pillar. Are You not Ministra?”

“A name. I do not possess a name such as sentient beings do. My identification is the Mainframe Administration Unit.”

More puzzling words, even if they made a little more sense. I suddenly felt an ill weight building in my stomach. “Mainframe Administration Unit? You are the one that speaks through the Pillar? That gives us our prophecies, yes?”

“I relay the yearly study objectives in a manner to test the growth and development of the indigenous peoples of Etnera. As your culture and society grew, the network identified replicas of the Transmission Device and have updated procedures to relay information via the replicas for a greater sample size to the study.”

That sounded like a very long way to confirm my question. But it revealed a lot more than I expected as well. So She did look to see us grow and develop like we believed. Yet what is this study that She speaks of? However, something far worse started to grow in my mind. It only made my stomach feel even more sour than before. I wanted to throw up. “What is this study?”

“Regulations have prevented me from divulging that information as it would taint the results. However, as the study has concluded that information is no longer a risk. Project Castellon seeded the Planet Etnera with life for long term anthropological study. It was approved by the High Council of Social and Cultural Understanding 2183 of your stellar years ago. Due to the long term assignment, I was given control to maintain the ongoing case study until its conclusion. As your development will be halted by the sterilization of all life, I have concluded the Project cannot continue and the results will be transmitted to available academic facilities for further dissection and investigation.”

Even before she finished, I lost the strength in my legs to stand. My body felt weak like before, but for completely different reasons. The lump in my gut was a boulder now. I couldn’t keep upright. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This wasn’t the truth I sought. No one wanted this knowledge. It wasn’t going to bring peace of mind to anyone.

Gerth, damn you, you sent me on a fool’s errand. I’d rather die not knowing this. What am I supposed to do now?

“Speaker?” Heist called to me as he knelt down. How could he still look so unbothered by it all? Did he not understand what she said? “Eshikra? What’s wrong?” How much more clear did it need to be?

“Mainframe Administration Unit, are you a deific being?”

“No, I’m an artificial AI construction produced by Gyonu’isk Technologies. Though to beings at your level of technological development I could be perceived as such.”

I looked back to Heist almost with spite in my eyes. Do you get it now? As clear as can be presented. Not even the most devoted follower of Ministra could deny it coming straight from her words.

And then I saw the change in his eyes and face. The emptiness consumed every corner of his features like claws that dug mercilessly to take everything. An almost sadist pleasure came from seeing him fall from the same heights. What was wrong with me? Why did I do that? I shouldn’t have broken his reality. But should I be the only one to suffer this knowledge? This curse.

Was I always such a terrible person?

Though as I just lost any ability to move my body, I saw something different take over Heist. Rage, anger, desperation flooded his body. If an emotion could be a color it would have been the hottest most intense hue of red I’ve ever witnessed. The shade of lava couldn’t even compare to the strength and blinding glow.

He spun around throwing a fist straight at the structure that her voice came from. His hand went through the transparent box of text that we read as she spoke. It did nothing as I expected. But his fury couldn’t be cool with something that base. It provided no release, no vent to empty the seething fires within. Heist threw out more punches in frustration as nothing happened. There wasn’t even a dent to the perfectly crafted surface.

When his body failed him, he drew his sword. Sparks flew up from his collisions, but it otherwise just bounced off completely harmless. Even not being a God, whoever made it was beyond their ability to contend with. And I think he knew that, but it didn’t help or change anything. What could any of us do? We were just some experiment to people we would never even see or know. What did we do to deserve this?

“Dammit…” I could hear the heavy panting from all of his failed attempts to even slightly damage it. He dropped his arms down as the blade tapped the floor with an echoing ping.

“If your inquiry has concluded I will terminate this communication. Thank you for making Project Castellon a success.” And in silence it disappeared. The light soon faded away leaving us in utter darkness once more. Alone, deeply alone.

After minutes, maybe an hour, I don’t know. I couldn’t be bothered to move or consider anything. My mind was devoid of thoughts. I heard footsteps. Heist was leaving. I was going to be alone. My body suddenly had the energy to move. Rushing to my feet, I tried to follow. “What are you going to do?”

“This was all just a lie. It wasn’t Origin. We failed.”

“But Rothe and your men…”

“Speak not a word of any of this to them. This was nothing.” Nothing? Is that his answer to this? But they all know what we found. How is he going to deal with what they know?

Crawling back out of the hole, Rothe and his team gathered around with hopeful expressions. It nearly made me want to cry to see their naivety. I wanted it back. Give it back to me, dammit! All any of you do is steal from me! I can’t even die with innocence now. What do I do?

“Commander?”

He shook his head. “It was a Ganiza lie. They played everyone for fools. They never had Origin.”

“Sir?” Confusion and despair surrounded the new companions. Though it had weaker holds of them than it did us. We were far better company, but it seemed eager for new members, regardless. A terrible lie to kill hope, so that hope would remain. Was that right?

I looked over at Heist in silence. I couldn’t say anything. Even if I wanted to, he stared at me ordering me to remain quiet. This was how he would handle it. He wasn’t accepting my opinion anymore. That intense dominating presence that I remembered returned again. He was unshakable, even as his faith was shattered.

How could he continue? What is the point?