Salvation

by voroshilov

Cain

As per usual with the rigour of the Chronovus authorities, the trip to Sanctuary’s Watch took several hours. So long, in fact, that Penumbra had fully rested up and entered the bridge by the time Sanctuary’s Watch had only just appeared on the viewscreen. The situation above the moon was almost identical to the last time they had returned, with thousands of vessels passing back and forth in an elaborate three-dimensional swan dance. With no direction that could be confirmed as up, the various vessels of all shapes and sizes coiled and corkscrewed around one another, forming a chaotic looking pattern that still - despite its looks - managed to be both completely safe and efficient.

After Penumbra’s awakening, there was still another hour to kill before their authorisation to land would be confirmed. Even using her fair amount of leverage, which had shaved hours off of their time at least, she still could not ever guarantee that an approach to Chronove or its satellites would be fast. In fact, she could certainly guarantee quite the opposite. Regardless, Penumbra took no small comfort in the routine the systems provided, able to simply sit back and relax whilst the AI carefully manoeuvred her through safely.

Whilst Penumbra enjoyed the procedure, Ablazed Glory was the polar opposite. Whilst she somewhat understood the need for it, she was the type to become bored very easily. So, when she was left on the bridge of the ship with absolutely nothing to do, whilst the Luminary guided them through check after agonisingly slow check, she felt her brain trying to escape. She had accepted, however, that the procedures weren’t up to her, and never would be. Probably for the best, really.

“Ah.” Astrid gave a contented smile and sight as she observed the thousands of silver spirals in front of them. “It has been a long time since I was here.”

Ablazed Glory chuckled, fiddling with a metal toothpick between her fangs. “What? Been on holiday here before?”

“Depends on what you’d call a holiday,” she said, gazing out over Chronove’s shining metallic surface, “Emperor Nicholas had requested we ensure Chronove was safe and secure before he arrived. He had practically burst into the material world on Asmodeus, he was so drained by his time away from real space that he could not control his entry point. Then, as you know, the war began.”

“We?” Ablazed Glory asked, as Penumbra very conspicuously poured herself a glass of whiskey.

“My siblings,” Astrid said, also noticing Penumbra’s not so subtle action, she turned and called over, “if there’s another glass.”

Penumbra floated one over, significantly smaller than the good half a litre she’d poured herself. Astrid caught it graciously in her own telekinesis, though hers had the advantage of being invisible - achieved by little more than manipulation of her lithe fingers.

“Where are your siblings?”

Astrid swirled the alcohol in her glass for a moment, before shrugging. “I’m not sure. They’re all off, busy doing their own things. Tiberius has probably found some poor bastard on a primitive world to harass.” She laughed at her thought. “He’s going to tell them all about proton decay then send them off into the world, like a beautiful butterfly. Yes, a beautiful, confused butterfly.”

Silence followed for a good few minutes.

“Luminary,” Ablazed Glory broke the silence, though only because silence seemed to weigh her down, “how far are we from landing?”

“Forty seven minutes,” it said.

Silence followed again.

Within mere moments of landing, Ablazed Glory was outside the ship, audibly delighted at being on real, solid ground. “Some damn decent weather,” she yelled to the sky, taking in a deep, exaggerated breath, “actual good air.”

Penumbra and Astrid followed ten minutes after her, both walking steadily down the airlock’s ramp. Penumbra was far less vocal than Ablazed Glory and preferred to simply take in the sweet spring air, the cool breeze on her face and the view of her quaint little tower.

“Built by the Assembly,” Astrid mused, “ancient and powerful, though apparently not averse to the aesthetics of their past.”

She walked along the grass, though left no footprints, it was as though she wasn’t even there. Slowly, but surely, the grass in a small radius around her began to grow. Where she walked, life apparently followed.

Suddenly, she froze still, before looking up into Penumbra’s tower. She had a quizzical look on her face, before turning to the alicorn that was to her front right. “You don’t happen to have a companion, do you?” She asked, “who would be in your tower right now?”

“What?” Penumbra looked at her with a look that Astrid immediately knew meant no.

“In the tower,” she said, “something’s in there, something I haven’t seen before. Be careful.”

Penumbra whistled to Ablazed Glory, who gave her a nod of confirmation. She rushed to the door, ducking to its side as Penumbra and Astrid both approached. Penumbra drew her sword and burst in, eyes quickly scanning back and forth. Ablazed Glory followed behind her, taking a position at the bottom of the stairs, giving her a wave to confirm it was clear.

The two advanced, one moving up at a time, giving a signal to the other it was clear. Astrid followed behind. Though the Archon had a thoughtful look on her face, she did not appear worried as to any hostile intent. Penumbra and Ablazed Glory, however, so engrossed in their tactical display, had not noticed.

The two stacked on the door to Penumbra’s bedroom, the main study and observatory of the tower. At first, they waited for Astrid, but realised quickly the Archon was still halfway down the stairs.

Penumbra gave Ablazed Glory a nod, with her promptly nodding back. Ablazed Glory flared her horn, raising her right talon to give Penumbra a countdown from three. On zero, she flung the doors inwards, both of them bursting in, weapons ready.

They were greeted by a WarSynth.

Unlike the previous, it stood at three metres and forty centimetres tall, its chassis made of a brassy metal; it had long, spindly limbs, though slightly wider and shorter, connected to a slightly more squat angular upside-down pyramid as a torso; its head bore a large, round fan-like headdress and a large, circular red eye in the centre of the head itself, four panels locked into openings around it, able to close over it if necessary. Its weapon was foot long and about a foot tall, held in a skeletal, metal hand, two black emitters connected by the dark grey trigger handle, their ends glowing a faint red. It was a Sanctuary’s Watch WarSynth. How, Penumbra thought, had it gotten out?

“Greetings,” it spoke, voice almost identical to the previous WarSynth, but slightly deeper, “I am Cain. You are Sunless-Halo-of-Penumbra. And, you are Ablazed Glory.”

“Yeah,” Ablazed Glory retorted, “you didn’t come here just to remind us.”

“That assumption is correct.” Its eye flashed every time it spoke, rather unnervingly. “I have come to deliver a message, though I shall wait until your entire party has convened.”

Cain stood perfectly straight, in that typical uncanny WarSynth fashion, unmoving and statuesque - which it could easily have been mistaken for were it not for the flashing eye.

A minute later, Astrid joined the standoff. “Oh,” she cooed, “you are an interesting one.”

Cain spoke in binary, before reverting to organic language, “now that you are convened, I may present my message.”

What it had said in binary, Penumbra knew, was ‘thank you’. The WarSynth had appreciated a compliment. Something a WarSynth didn’t do, because it couldn’t do; although, WarSynths didn’t have names either.

Cain continued, “the importance of this must be conveyed to all three of you, so I will refrain from using more efficient forms of communication.” By ‘efficient forms’ it, of course, meant binary. “On the planet you have designated New Horizons, there are two sisters. Their genetics are almost identical, as are their soul prints. You must meet with them, as they have recently been afflicted with visions of a coming event. An event foreseen by.” Cain cut itself off, speaking in a burst of binary, before continuing again in a language all of them could understand.

“They hold the key to defeating that which is the cause of these visions, a task which must be completed. You are the only ones that this matter can be entrusted to, due, in part, to your cultural similarities to the subjects, you are capable of assimilating into their society with ease, thus easily getting us an audience with them.”

“Us?” Ablazed Glory questioned, “what do you mean by that?”

Cain launched a burst of binary that lasted for seventeen seconds, before speaking in organic language again. “Myself, Astrid and you shall be accompanying Sunless-Halo-of-Penumbra to meet with and thus recruit these two. Their names.” He took a few steps towards Penumbra, who couldn’t help but wince back slightly. “Are,” it launched into another burst of binary, “you will know them as: Moon Glow and Sun Glow. I will assist in identifying them,” in another burst of binary, something beeped onto Penumbra’s eye-pieces - a closer inspection revealing it to be three-dimensional models of two ponies, one with a gold coat and the other with blue, “we must not lose time, let us return to your vessel and make haste.”

Cain did not so much as wait for them to respond, marching through them and down the steps, surprisingly quickly given how rhythmically it did it. Ablazed Glory was prevented from making another snide remark by Penumbra racing after it, Astrid following. The flaming alicorn swore under her breath, repeatedly, but followed regardless.