Vault of Ancients (AGG: CORE)

Vault of Ancients

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Commissioned by Althero

Wordcount: 1000

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Your name is Sun Falls Beneath the Waves and you’re at a complete loss.

The human offers you a small smile of understanding and pushes a cup of coffee towards you, while you lean upon the table and hold your head.

“And… all the civilizations that exist can do NOTHING about them?” Aspects. The mere thought of the extradimensional existences that now exist shake you to your core. Even at the height of your civilization, before your species broke itself and decided to leave all realms to grow until one reached out for you all, a single Aspect could’ve shattered you all. “Not even with humanity’s might and will combined?”

“Theoretically, we can kill one once… then they’ll either just come back, or one of them will decide to make causality reverse for that singular action.” The human turns towards the door before it opens, and gratefully receives a meal. He sets one plate before you and one for himself. It is copy of a standard breakfast from the vault’s manifests. It tastes exactly as it should, but you hardly care. “It’s better to be allies with them. They’re all fairly nice individuals.”

The human has been fair, logical, and capable since you met him. Though he did not speak for his entire race, long ago absconding with his authorities, Sheridan Creighton was exactly what you hoped for in a discoverer of your vault.

A man willing to share information, place trust in you, and have faith in your mission to simply provide context and aid when necessary to the new civilizations that have arisen.

Therefore, you don’t hesitate to scowl at him.

“You cannot be serious. They are threats. Immense threats. Ones that jeopardize the very fabric of society.” Control over violence is what gives governments legitimacy. Well after issues of shelter, food, and energy have been solved, the issue of violence is one that undid your own people, because the hold the people had on it became too weak. “You must understand that in order for you to avoid the mistakes of my people, your own must become the absolute strongest, so that there can be no other factions rising up to contest you.”

Beneath a singular, almighty entity who ruled over violence, all others could live in peace.

“Ah, yes, the monopoly on force issue. That was a big problem several centuries ago, and I have to admit that it flares up from time to time. A few planets here and there claim that they follow one of the Aspects.” Sheridan Creighton ponders the matter, and you feel alarmed at the casualness of his statements. You feel only confusion when he shakes his head. “Usually, whoever they claim they’re following goes over to them and deals with the problem themselves, so it’s not that much of an issue.”

A part of you is utterly confused at the thought of powerful entities quashing movements which would grant them more power, but before you can voice you concerns, Sheridan Creighton speaks once again.

“They’re different, Sun Falls Beneath the Waves.” He pronounces your name perfectly, and you cannot help but pay attention to the alien. He has a certain, intoxicating gravitas familiar to you, as you’ve worked with Dukes before your internment. “They’re not the powerhungry, greedy, and foolish creatures who upturned your empire. They’d sooner spend time finding a new hobby, than look to upturn civilization for their pleasures.”

He taps the table and a hologram of middling quality erupts from it.

The creature looks like a human, but is garbed in red and blue robes, and is of great stature. You cannot help but think of the creature as beautiful, even though you understand the creature is a something that can cut apart planets with the same ease as cutting upon an fruit.

It is Li Song, the Aspect of Conflict.

“As you know, Li Song is famed all across human lands. If he suddenly declared himself ruler of humanity, the current regimes wouldn’t stand a chance in terms of popularity, let alone might.” Nodding along with the words, you do your best to glare at the stunning creature that stands before you. No matter what you do, you can’t help but be attracted, and you’re very sure that it becoming more and more your “type” as time passes. It is infuriating. “But do you know what he’s doing right now at this very instant?”

You expected a statement about the creature being surveyed from afar.

Instead Sheridan Creighton scrolls down and presses on a singular button.

You blink repeatedly at the small message sent directly to Sheridan Creighton.

“Need help?”

“They’re allies, Ms. Sun. Each and every single one of them.” Sheridan Creighton switches to each Aspect in order, corresponding to each one, there is a singular query regarding giving aid. “To humanity, they are not potential foes, but friends we’ve had for many, many centuries. Friends that we intend to keep.”

A thought occurs to you that fills you with shame.

What if your people made allies as strong and mighty as Aspects?

The answer redoubles the same you feel.

Your people would still rule the stars, instead of being reduced to nothing more than memory, and a scattering of colonists.

“I see.” You do your best to suborn the thoughts that come, but you struggle with them, and know that you cannot continue in your current state. Swallowing your pride, you ask a question as politely as you can. “May I have some time to ponder on this matter privately, Sheridan Creighton?”

Sheridan Creighton’s response is a nod. Then, he rises from his chair, and begins to exit the room.

However, just before he leaves you to your thoughts and a cold, untouched meal, he turns towards you and offers you words that you know you’ll remember forever.

“Rebuild your people, Sun Falls Beneath the Waves. Do not punish yourselves for the actions of your ancestors. Live for yourselves and live freely.”