‘As dumb as it sounds, I think I’m becoming an optimistic cynic…’

-Nell, to his Brothers

In dreams again, Nell saw himself. He was many places, on many worlds, witnessing many vistas, and again there was that stone bridge and that eerie forest. The worlds he saw were strange to him, but he almost felt as if he knew them well. He saw Alathor smile at him. Was it Alathor? She looked so much like Hart’s Sister. Somehow… Nell wasn’t sure… and yet it so very much looked like her. Then, once again, he walked forward. The world around him seemed a little clearer this time. He thought he was surrounded by forest, and before him, his back to Nell, was the armoured man once more, brilliant light glowed in front of him.

Slowly the man started to turn.

Nell saw no more as he woke up.

‘I don’t like blacking out,’ he grumbled to himself as the dream faded into the back of his mind. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was in a new cavern, the archway from before, and the underground lake, were nowhere to be seen. There was, nevertheless, an impressive sight that met his eyes. A huge starship sat across from him - on the far end of the cavern - and behind it was the wide open mouth of an impressive cave, that looked out on thick, green forest.

The ship was white and silver, and unlike any vessel Nell had ever seen before. It was smooth but not wholly symmetrical. Four long, tapering pods were connected by smooth sections, and the front of the ship, facing Nell, bore a huge hangar bay and an enormous weapon. The outer two pods had gigantic bubble windows and Nell could see through them into the ship and levels of ramps and floors, giving him some idea – as if it wasn’t obvious already – how truly big this ship was.

Nell noticed more weapons scattered across the ship, and his eyes were drawn toward the highest point, where a long and tall module was connected to the outer pods by long sweeping arms.

‘Wow,’ he heard himself say as he scrambled to his feet, staring at the impressive vessel. Part of him wanted to run to the ship, find a way in and explore it. He wondered if it predated the Shatter Wars. Nell had always been fond of star vessels; though he’d only been on one or two in his life.

He’d thought fondly of one day having his own and sailing the stars, experiencing every corner of the Universe.

There was a noise behind Nell; like someone stepping on loose stones. He spun quickly and saw a figure cloaked in shadow, standing back from him. He quickly realized that it was a woman. She was small, had a nice lean form, and appeared to be wearing the familiar white and blue Emahra armour he’d seen on the news. A Hanul-Kal sword hung by her side; a finely crafted hilt, a truncated blade that would lengthen when needed.

Nell guessed that this must be his guide.

A soft blue glow started when the woman opened her hand, and Nell noticed his key laying in her palm. The light flowed upward, illuminating a gorgeous face - one Nell knew, but seeing it now, here, in the flesh, it shocked him.

‘Alathor Iminalia?’ he whispered.

He felt a little shy in her presence.

He had to remind himself that she wasn’t really the Heir to the Emahra throne.

The woman stepped forward. She was in Emahra armour, as Alathor would be. But it wasn’t Alathor. Where she should have blue hair, this girl’s hair was white. Her eyes were the same though… dark, dark brown.

She was beautiful, beyond words.

Pictures showed her beauty, but didn’t do justice… How she outshone every girl Nell had ever known.

‘Genesis?’ Nell corrected himself, as images from his dreams flooded back to him.

The woman nodded, stepped up to Nell, and then placed in his hand the glowing key. She looked down at the key for a moment, almost a touch of longing in her brown eyes. Then she turned them back to Nell. Nell just stared at her, and he couldn’t believe she was staring back at him.

Did I really like her this much all this time, and not know it, or am I just rebounding? Nell asked himself.

Once again, he had to remind himself that this wasn’t Alathor.

‘How did they do it?’ Nell asked. ‘How did you… get a body?’

Genesis looked sad, and slowly she reached up, touching her throat. She shook her head.

Nell was confused. ‘What?’ he asked. ‘Your throat is sore?’

Genesis gave a weak smile and she shook her head again. Then she opened her mouth as if to speak, and nothing came out.

‘You can’t talk?’ Nell asked.

Genesis nodded with that sad look on her face again; almost so pained that Nell thought she might cry.

‘What happened?’ Nell pressed.

Genesis shrugged.

Nell sighed. He considered Genesis and wondered if it was still possible for her to help him. Yet, he knew he couldn’t do this without her. He wouldn’t know where to start.

‘We’ll have to make it work,’ he told Genesis.

She smiled warmly at him, and it made his legs weak. She stuck out her bottom lip in a cute way and nodded with determination.

Which just made Nell’s legs more wobbly.

He held is composure though, and to help himself do so, he turned and motioned to the ship.

‘This is ours?’ he asked.

Genesis stepped up beside him and nodded. Then she turned to him, looked thoughtful for a moment, and held up a hand, drawing an invisible line in the air; after which she held her hand over that point.

Nell thought for a moment and then smiled. ‘Top of the line?’ he reasoned.

Genesis beamed. Then she started forward, motioning for Nell to follow. They walked toward the ship, and then under it, toward the aft section. Genesis guided Nell to the port side, at the back, where a wide section stood, and within was a doorway that lead into the ship. The door was sealed and Genesis walked meaningfully toward it, waving a hand as she went. With a click the door opened, and Nell followed her into a small room. Across the room was another door. That door was closed.

As the door to the outside closed behind Nell and Genesis, soft blue lights clicked on. Genesis reached out for Nell’s hand grabbed it, pointing at the key he was gripping, and then she pointed to his belt and the many pouches on it.

Nell gasped and pulled back, realizing for the first time that he was wearing a blue, black, and brown uniform. There was a Hanul-Kal at his side, and the belt he wore had many pouches on it. On his right hip was a holster with a pulsar gun.

Eyes wide with surprise Nell looked at Genesis and stared, feeling suddenly very uncomfortable. ‘How’d I get into this?’ he said, his voice higher than normal.

Genesis grimaced and her cheeks turned red as she looked down. Then she looked up and placed a hand on her chest, after which she waved two hands up and down the length of Nell’s body.

‘WHOA!’ Nell cried out, turning away and slapping his forehead.

Genesis bit her bottom lip and looked away, blushing all the more.

‘Oh, man,’ Nell whispered to himself and turned back to the woman. ‘You… dressed me?’ he asked carefully.

Genesis nodded.

‘Oh, that’s good,’ Nell commented sarcastically.

Genesis beamed, looking relieved. Then she turned, walking to the other door across the room, which slid open as she neared it. Beyond was a long, well lit, hallway. Nell sighed as he watched Genesis go, and then, feeling a little too exposed, he followed.

Genesis led him through the ship. After a time, he was walking up ramps, and staring out one of the large bubble windows to the cavern beyond. The ship was absolutely awe inspiring. Genesis led Nell onward, and after some more time, and after following a hallway that led up, up, and up, they walked through a wide doorway on the side of a long room. To Nell’s right were several computer stations and whisper-image tables. Beyond that was a tall and wide window that looked out over the top of the ship.

‘Wow!’ Nell exclaimed and hurried forward, past the computer stations and the glowing whisper-image tables, to stand right before the forward window. It reached from floor to ceiling and gave him a beautiful, and expansive, view of the cave and the ship.

He wondered, once again, if he was dreaming this.

When Genesis stepped up beside him and joined his gaze, smiling at his delight, he really hoped he wasn’t dreaming.

‘So?’ Nell asked after a moment. ‘What’s first? By what the fifteen said, we don’t have much time to dawdle.’

Genesis nodded seriously and walked back across the command deck to one of the whisper-image tables. Nell joined her and watched a rotating, three dimensional image, floating above the table. It was the bust of a man, bluish green, and partially transparent.

‘Oh, no,’ Nell groaned when he saw a holographic representation of his own face staring back at him.

‘Ah,’ a snide representation of his voice said in a clipped tone, as the whisper-image saw Nell as well, ‘you’re finally here. They’ve all been talking about this for some time. I had actually thought you weren’t going to show up!’

‘What the heck are you?’ Nell asked, beside himself with a true sense of dismay. He actually felt more violated by this, than being stripped and redressed while unconscious.

‘I am Ha’dun,’ the whisper-image said in a condescending voice. ‘I’m your ship… I was built before the Shatter Wars as an Emahra colony vessel. After being abandoned for some time, I was found by one called the Blue Mystic. I’ve been programmed to help you. As I understand that Genesis can’t speak, it looks as though much of your training will fall upon me… Luckily, I am prepared for such a turn of events… I never really counted on those fifteen to properly make Genesis’s ascended shell… As things go, I suppose not being able to speak is a small thing.’

‘Wait, how did you know-?’

‘Well obviously she was in here getting all the systems on line while you slept like a fool outside… Though I’m not convinced she did everything right… I do feel a little off… tampered with, you might say. I’m sure I’ll sort it though.’

‘I wasn’t sleeping!’ Nell spat. Then he looked at Genesis. ‘You left me out there?’

Genesis shrugged, and then pantomimed trying to pull Nell, with a strained look on her face.

Then she pouted.

Nell got that wobbly leg feeling again.

‘I think she is expressing that you were too heavy to drag,’ Ha’dun pointed out. ‘After all, she did get you from the archway chamber to my cave. You don’t think that’s enough?’

‘No, it’s fine,’ Nell grumbled at his holographic self.

‘Well, I should say,’ the ship grumbled back.

Nell closed his eyes, sighed, and buried his face in his hands. He was silent for a moment and then looked up. ‘Okay, Ha’dun,’ Nell said, ‘we need to get started. How are you going to help teach me?’

The whisper-image smirked. ‘Hold very still,’ he said and Nell watched a silver snaky thing rise up out of the whisper-imaging table. There was a sharp, gleaming, needle tip on it. Nell was about to say something, but before he could, the needle end shot forward and quickly behind his head. There was a sudden blinding pain at the base of his skull, and then a wash of knowledge and images.

Nell howled in agony and then blacked out.