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Night Skies Hotel VI: Destroyers of Worlds By Solari Author's note: "Destroyers of Worlds" is the third story in the three-part "Foundations" trilogy that shines a light on the wider Night Skies Hotel universe. The other stories in the "Foundations" trilogy are "Night Skies Hotel IV: The Lost Worlds," and "Night Skies Hotel V: Shadows on the Sun." It is recommended that the stories be read in order, or the reader risks not understanding the events that unfold. "What you consider to be an abomination on Terra is natural to Gaia. We have no cure for something that's an integral part of us." - Queen Dominus Steena *** CHAPTER V: WIND OF CHANGE "You have been cleared for landing at Alpha Primus Base on Pandora Island, Unified Terran Military transport zero-seven-six." The anonymous voiced droned on. "You have been ..." "Acknowledged," the pilot transmitted. He glanced back at the passenger area, where a single man sat, brooding. "You might want to strap yourself in, sir. The atmosphere around Pandora Island is known for its unpredictable air turbulence." Intermediate Scientist Griffin Dair had just finished strapping himself in when the first jolt passed through the ship, quickly followed by a second as the pilot charted a straight-line course for Pandora. Griffin, however, didn't notice the turbulence. His mind was on other matters - specifically, the data he was bringing to his compatriots on the rainy, windswept spit of green land the transport was nearing, as turbulence howled around it. A particularly vicious jolt left Griffin feeling sick to his stomach. *** "It's been two years since the captives arrived, and we have yet to make a major advance in curing the pathogen that affects them, sir," Stanton said. "It's time to swallow our pride and contact the people who might be able to assist us." Senior Scientist Dane Ar'Rogance steepled his fingers and grimaced. "You're talking about the Gaians aren't you, Stanton?" "Yes. Of the dozens of timelines we've explored, they're the only people we've found who, I believe, might be able to help us." "They're also a matriarchy," Dane observed. "That's never hindered scientific ties between our worlds before." Dane sighed irritably. "Damnit, Stanton. You know the Council of Champions has become more reactionary since Raad Darnak was lost and Marsupia quarantined. Chest thumping aside, Darnak tended to vote with the more level-headed members of the council!" "I don't need to be reminded of the political situation, sir," Stanton shot back. "What I do need is your permission to pursue a line of thinking that I believe holds the key to a cure!" "Give me one good reason, Advanced Scientist Stanton Zev'thun." Stanton glowered. He didn't like it when Dane pulled rank, particularly since the two men shared a long and illustrious friendship. "Genetics," he growled. "It's the only area, aside from temporal technology, where the Gaians are more advanced than we are." Dane called up a holographic display. The latest summary of research by Stanton and his team scrolled by in mid-air. The senior scientist harrumphed as the data confirmed Stanton's assertion - genetic science remained one of Terra's weak points. He gave his friend a weary gaze and waved his hand. "Fine. Go talk to the Gaians. Is there anyone in particular you're thinking of?" "Her name is Metis. She's a researcher with the Gaian Science Guild," Stanton said. He turned to leave, but Dane stopped him. "I apologize for playing hardball, Stanton. The Champions are ratcheting up the pressure to get results, and soon." He rubbed his eyes. "I had hoped we wouldn't have to fall back on the expertise of outsiders to solve the problem." Stanton's eyes smoldered. "How we get the results they want so bad doesn't matter anymore. All that matters is that we get them." Dane watched the door whoosh shut behind Stanton. He called up a schematic of the Alpha Primus Base and watched as a blue dot representing Stanton moved away from his office. "There's more to the story than you know, old friend," he said softly. "Marsupia is just the visible sliver of a gargantuan iceberg." An alert scrolled across Dane's monitor, taking his mind off more pressing matters. His eyes lit up as he read the text. "Well, well. Perhaps Griffin has better news to report." *** Senior Scientist Dom Thetis thought the display of military might would never end - wave after wave of Stormrider and Stingray fighters and Torus gunships swept across the skies of Atlantica as, on the ground, columns of armored laser and missile tanks moved in concert with thousands of gray- and black-uniformed troops. Dom leaned forward and squinted into the distance, but there was no end in sight to the parade. He sighed and settled back into his seat, surrounded by Champions and Sentinels. "This is nothing compared to what's taking place near Nexus and the other space stations," said Kane F'Hearsome. A sinister grin split the Champion's face. Dom nodded glumly. The scientist had been aboard Nexus earlier in the day, where he had watched eight immense Vanguards - surrounded by flotillas of smaller ships - cruise past the space station. The triangular-shaped Vanguards served as the hearts of spaceborne groups designed to support and carry settlers to other timelines. But Dom also knew the powerful, matte-black vessels and their groups harbored substantial military capabilities. "The plan you and your team set forth four years ago ensured Terra's future," another voice boomed. It was Champion Trelisk Trion. "Now that timeline travel is no longer ruinous to our ships and technology, resources will be reallocated to the TNW program, colonization and much more. Dom, you have earned the right to a favor. Ask, and you shall receive it." Dom perked up at Trelisk's words. "My lieges, I want my protege, Griffin, returned to my service," the scientist said. "His talents are being wasted at Alpha Primus Base, and I need his assistance with a new energy project I'm working on." "That favor cannot be granted," Trelisk said. "But you just said ..." "You're joining him on Pandora Island," Kane interjected. "Your expertise is needed to assist the scientists there. They're having difficulty making progress against the pathogen that has isolated Marsupia from the rest of Terra." Dom's shoulders sagged, and the tired look returned to his dark eyes. "I presume that my preliminary work with crystalline technology is on the back burner?" Trelisk nodded gravely. "We need to cure this pathogen or, at the very least, learn to keep it in check. It'd also be nice to learn where it came from." He sighed. "Until then, colonization in other timelines will be limited to worlds and moons we know are sterile." Kane grimaced. "As you know, the longer colonization is delayed, the greater the pressure is on Terra to support our burgeoning population. The status quo cannot last much longer." Dom squared his shoulders. "My lieges, I promise that a cure will be found. It's just a matter of examining the data we already have and extrapolating it out from there." "Pandora's scientists made that same promise two years ago," Trelisk observed. "Since then, they've had problems keeping that promise - so choose your words carefully." "Yes, my liege." Dom paused, considering his next words. "My lieges, I must know something before I go." The two Champions gazed coolly at the scientist. Dom plunged ahead. "The military power I saw today - it's meant for more than protecting colonists, isn't it?" Trelisk didn't flinch. "You should read the classified reports you receive a bit closer, senior scientist. It's no secret - what you're seeing today is the spearhead of an invasion." *** Artemis woke up screaming. She fumbled in the darkness of her quarters for a moment before the lights snapped on, revealing a disheveled, topless young woman. She looked around wildly, but the shadows that menaced her dreams were gone. "Dark ... dark, wild energy," the High Princess muttered incoherently. The door to her quarters chimed incessantly. "Yes, yes. I'm coming!" She hopped out the bed and made her way to the door, but it whooshed open before she reached it, revealing two dark, towering figures. Males. Artemis backpedaled as they strode into her quarters, raising their heavy weapons - weapons! - in her direction. "Gaia's future ends here," one of the gray-clad soldiers droned. His gun flashed. Artemis felt a horrible, burning sensation, then an icy coldness as she fell ... "Milady! Wake up! WAKE UP!" Artemis slowly opened her emerald green eyes and blinked at the pair of concerned faces hovering over her. Eris and Ceres. They definitely weren't men. She sat up in her bed. "Huh? Why are you in my quarters?" "We used an emergency override command, milady," Eris explained. "You were screaming and we could hear thumping - we couldn't ...," her voiced trailed off. "No, you did the right thing," Artemis said. She sighed. "If I'd known vivid dreams were a side-effect of quitting sigaret smoking, I might not have gone cold turkey." Eris smiled. "Well, at least you've haven't relapsed," she said. "If the Commerce Guild had known how addictive sigarets were, they might thought twice about introducing them into Gaian society." The High Princess took a deep breath. "It's a habit that many of our sisters now enjoy, so there's no way to put the genie back in the bottle." She shooed them away. "I'll be fine. It's a small price to pay for getting hooked in the first place." Ceres reached self-consciously into a pocket and touched a capped tube that was half-filled with long, white superslim sigarets. She had become a smoker the year before, and had yet to break her addiction to the all-pervasive, sweet-tasting sigarets. She sighed and followed Eris out of Artemis' quarters. For her part, Artemis tossed and turned. Sleep didn't come easily, and when it did, it was fractured by nightmarish images of monstrous men, burning cities, and dying worlds. *** "Does it ever stop raining here?" "Just during the winter - but then it snows most of the time!" Griffin replied, smiling broadly as he greeted the senior scientist deep within the Alpha Primus Base. "My mentor, I bid you welcome to Pandora Island!" Dom grasped Griffin by the shoulders and returned his smile. "It's been too long, my protege, since we last had any meaningful time together." "Two years and counting," Griffin said. "But I wish our reunion was under better circumstances." Dom waved his hand. "I've been told you need my help - apparently the pathogen is turning out to be a tougher nut to crack than first imagined?" Griffin nodded grimly. "More than you can imagine. I'll give you the latest details after we've settled down for some hot koko in the conference room." The two men made their way down a corridor that was bustling with scientists, soldiers and functionaries. Before long, Griffin motioned Dom into a relatively isolated room and closed the door behind them. The hot koko had already been poured for them by Dane, the base's lead scientist and an overseer to the Champion of Azah. The man was seated at the head of the conference table by himself, facing Griffin and Dom. "Will Stanton be joining us?" Griffin asked as he and Dom seated themselves. Dane shook his head. "He's already left for Gaia." The senior scientist looked at Dom. "Griffin hasn't told you yet, has he?" "No," Dom said. He gazed quizzically at his protege. "The hot koko can wait. Tell me the latest details, Griffin." Griffin sipped slowly from his mug as he returned his mentor's gaze. "We believe the pathogen has its origins on Gaia." The bombshell stunned the middle-aged scientist. "Do we know the circumstances of how it ended up on Terra?" "We haven't reached any conclusions yet," Dane said. "The science team just learned about it this morning, when Griffin presented the data upon his return from Nexus." "Stanton was going to Gaia to enlist their help against the pathogen," Griffin explained, "but now he's also going to see what they have to say about the data I gathered." Dom's mouth compressed into a thin line. "I'd like to see the data for myself." "It's right here." Griffin touched his padd, and a larger-than-life hologram appeared in mid-air. A sample of the pathogen's DNA structure was displayed next to a scrolling list of notations and other DNA samples. "While we are nowhere near the Gaians when it comes to genetic manipulation, we are able to observe the basic structure of DNA - adenine, thymine, guanine, cytosine, the sugar-phosphate backbones and so on." Dane set his mug of hot koko down. "We've been using that knowledge for several years now to conduct a comparison search through the DNA database Terra has gathered while exploring other timelines," the scientist explained. "It didn't take us long to find samples whose DNA was outwardly similar to that of the pathogen's, but it wasn't as cut-and-dried as we'd hoped. Valuable time was wasted investigating leads that led us down dead-ends." "At one point, we were certain we had pinned the pathogen's origins to a world whose oceans were populated with sex-changing fish," Griffin said. He snorted. "What a fishing expedition that turned out to be." "What makes you so certain the pathogen comes from Gaia?" Dom asked. Griffin shrugged. "That's just it. We don't know if it does or not - this could turn out to be nothing more than another fishing expedition." He sighed. "Honestly, we're desperate. The DNA samples from Gaia are among the last in the database, and it's our hope Stanton will be able to get a definitive answer. If Gaia is the pathogen's homeworld, we should be able to team up with the Gaians to find remedies that will either destroy or keep the pathogen in check on Terra." Griffin paused. "Provided, of course, that it isn't a part of some diabolical plan of theirs to control Terra." "You've been reading too much pulp fiction," Dom harrumphed. "We need to be sure of your findings before informing the Council of Champions." His mind wandered back to the display of military power in Atlantica. "Trust me when I tell you they have enough on their plate without adding a dash of unsubstantiated research to it." Dom finished off his hot koko and stood. "Anyway, I will be conducting my own line of research," the senior scientist said. He patted his padd. "And don't worry about duplication - your research records were included as part of the orientation prior to my arrival at Alpha Primus Base." "For a guy who looks like he's pushing seventy, he sure knows how to assert himself," Dane observed after the door had shut behind Dom's retreating form. "Don't ever let the 'kindly old professor' demeanor fool you," Griffin said, smiling. "It hides a man who can be single-minded about his research." He winked at Dane. "And, for the record, Dom isn't seventy - he's only forty-eight." *** "I warned you repeatedly over the years that this might happen, and it finally did!" Metis was agitated, her voice raised and shrill. "Your vaunted immune systems finally encountered something they couldn't handle, and now your planet is paying the price for its arrogance!" Stanton rubbed his eyes. "Kindly allow me a word in edgewise ..." "How many have died? How far has it spread?" Metis interrupted. "And if you brought any samples - by the goddesses, you better have them sealed in bio-hazard containers!" "The pathogen itself hasn't killed anyone, and it's contained to a single small continent!" Metis was taken aback. "Well, that's ... good. I was under the impression all of Terra was plague-ridden and ninety percent of your population was dead or dying." Stanton slid a golden, shimmering disc across the table he and Metis were seated at. "Yes, it's good that the pathogen isn't deadly. But what isn't good is that our scientists have linked it to Gaia." He gestured at the disc. "There's the data. See for yourself, Metis." "Really, Stanton," Metis replied. "I know Gaia-bashing has always been in vogue among some on Terra, but to lay the blame for this calamity at our feet is highly irresponsible." "Yeah, tell that to the men living in Marsupia," Stanton said tartly. "Or, rather, to the women who live there now." Metis blinked. "Come again?" "The damn pathogen transforms males into females!" Stanton roared. "We've been trying to find a cure for years now, but to no avail. The province remains quarantined!" "It's not possible," Metis muttered. "No one's officially blaming Gaia of anything," Stanton said, "but we're in desperate need of help - any help - to stop the pathogen. Even if it's not from Gaia, your world is incredibly advanced in genetic manipulation, and that may be the key to finding a cure for it." Metis picked up the disc and slid it into her padd. It interfaced with the Terran technology effortlessly, and a miniature, compact hologram flared to life on the table between them, scrolling DNA diagrams and related data. She studied the display until it finished, and then wordlessly slipped a HyperNet lens over her right eye. Within seconds, she was at the doorstep to a restricted part of the global database. Her hands were a blur as she subvocalized access codes. Her clearance confirmed, she linked the padd to the eyepiece, and data flashed through it. Metis' frown deepened. "Our scientists are right, aren't they?" Stanton asked. "Gaia is the pathogen's source!" Metis flipped up the lens and stared hard at Stanton. "I've received permission to share something with you we usually don't discuss with outsiders," she said. "Go back in time six years, Stanton. Do you recall what I told you about the plague that swept Gaia in ancient times, devastating our female population?" Stanton swallowed a lump in his throat. "Yes." "There's something I left out - some of the infected women experienced a sort of hyper-evolution." "Go on, I'm listening." "Their bodies not only became resistant to the plague, but also altered it in a manner so that it could be used to undo its devastation," Metis explained. "As you know, tens of millions of women were killed, but the women who hyper-evolved were able to replace their fallen sisters, and not just through childbirth. The plague - now a natural, tightly interwoven part of their DNA - had been changed so that it gave them the ability to change the sex of any male they had intercourse with. The males who became females also carried the sex-changing ability in their DNA." Stanton was white as a ghost. Metis continued, calm and collected. "It was this new ability among the women of my people that caused much of the chaos after the plague ran its course. The newly evolved were single-minded in their focus on restoring the population balance." She paused and looked at Stanton. He nodded mutely. "In time, the balance was restored - but not for long. Women began to outnumber men, slightly at first, then more so as time went by. It wasn't long before we had the opposite problem - too many women, too few men," Metis went on. "But then a new movement emerged twenty-four hundred years ago. It was known as the Sisterhood, and Gaia's women gravitated towards it. The Sisterhood had a moderating influence, and the explosive growth in the female population leveled off." Metis took a deep breath. "Women remained all-powerful and more numerous than men, and the Sisterhood became a means to peacefully unite Gaia twelve hundred years ago." "Your government should have told us about this right away, Metis," Stanton said. "Even more so after we established an embassy!" "Speaking of governments, yours should have been more forthcoming about how it treats the female population of Terra!" Metis shot back. "And it should have been less gung-ho and more realistic about the risks of timeline travel!" Stanton grimaced. "Don't even go there! You damn well know I passed your suggestions on to the Council of Champions! Repeatedly!" "Let's just agree that both our worlds should've been more open with each other from the beginning," Metis sighed. "But the past cannot be changed. We must deal with the fact that at some point, a Terran male and Gaian female had sex. It probably happened in a carnal district, with the female assuming her partner was a Gaian male wishing to become female." "The male then returned to Terra," Stanton said, "and transformed into a woman while in Marsupia. The rest, as they say, is history." He looked meaningfully at Metis. "Can your world help us?" "Nothing can be done to reverse the transformation," Metis said. Stanton started to protest, but she held her hand up. "However, I'm sure my world would, in the interests of maintaining its diplomatic relations with Terra, gladly accept those who had been changed." A thoughtful look crossed Stanton's face, and he nodded. "I will inform the Champions of the possibility you offer," he said, "but they've grown more reactionary ever since Marsupia was quarantined. I fear there may not be enough level-headed Champions left to honestly entertain the idea of relocation as an answer to Marsupia's problems." Metis shrugged. "I don't see why not. It involves no bloodshed, Terra would regain Marsupia, and Marsupia's Sisterhood would be welcomed on Gaia." "The Champions might not enjoy a bloodless solution, but I'm sure the UTM would," Stanton mused. "A lot of troops were lost - killed or transformed - when they fought against the women in Craterium. It was bad enough being overrun and getting screwed, but to have soldiers change if they were even near the women - well, it was too much." "Hmm. The pheromones must have brought about the transformation in men who hadn't yet changed into women," Metis observed. Stanton raised an eyebrow. "Pheromones?" "I assumed your scientists knew about them." "Assumptions are a bad thing. What do these pheromones do?" "They're a main trigger that causes the transformation," Metis said. "A man becomes an initiate when any fluids generated by a sister - such as vaginal secretions, saliva, sweat, nipple secretions - comes in contact with his skin. Most men change in the hour after their initiation, but for others it can vary from hours to days in length." "But we're talking months, possibly even years here!" Metis nodded. "Your immune systems must have been powerful enough to slow down the pathogen," she said. "Instead of rapidly changing the DNA, it took its time and became passive afterwards. A trigger would have been needed to reactivate it - perhaps the carriers became stressed or, more likely, were exposed to pheromones given off by women with the sex-changing capability." "Those pheromones are powerful." "Yes, and they can only be detected by those who are initiates," Metis replied. "But their effects - such as disorientation, sluggishness and a feeling of bliss - affect all males. Pheromones were used extensively before the Sisterhood's birth to make unwilling males susceptible to the wiles of predatory females." Stanton whistled. "I've got to relay all of this to my colleagues as soon as possible, Metis, but thanks for everything. I was hoping for a cure, but your data is the next best thing!" "You're welcome." Metis watched his form retreat into the distance and sighed. "Here's to hoping it's enough to satisfy your Champions." She stood, and was quickly joined by a number of previously hidden Guardians. "The Queen Dominus and Guild Mistresses need to be appraised of the situation in person. Lead the way." Sonora inclined her head. "As you wish, researcher." *** "Will you accept my hand in marriage, Artemis?" The High Princess stared, incredulous, at Deyvid, who was on bended knee before her. He held a large gold band encrusted with diamonds in his right hand. Soulful doe-brown eyes gazed deep into emerald green ones. Time seemingly stood still in the garden on the grounds of the Gaian palace. "I ...," her mind whirled with possibilities, "... accept, Deyvid." She threw her arms around him. "I accept! By the goddesses, I accept!!" Deyvid rose to his feet and, ever so gently, disentangled himself from Artemis. He held her soft, long-nailed hand and slipped the ring onto her finger, sealing it with a kiss. He smiled and said, "It's hard to imagine this all began in a library more than four years ago, isn't it?" Artemis laughed and answered Deyvid with a passionate kiss. "You know what's really funny? Sonora made fun of me that day, pointing out your acne and gangliness, but now she's involved with a guy who looks a lot like you!" "How about that - I started a trend," Deyvid said, a pleased look in his eyes. "My mother will be delighted to learn of our engagement," Artemis predicted. "She's been on my case for a year now, wondering when and where you would propose." Deyvid sighed. "I wish my father felt comfortable enough to express his approval in public." Artemis tousled his hair and smiled. "At least he expressed his support in private for our relationship. That's better than nothing." "True, but it still upsets me that he felt it was the only way to go." "Hmm. I take it the rest of Terra remains in the Stone Age when it comes to women?" "For the most part, yes. It didn't help matters any when the Marsupia Quarantine Zone went into effect," Deyvid said. "It's really made life hard for Terra's moderates." Artemis frowned. "Is there anything Gaia can do to help?" Deyvid shook his head. "Thanks, but we shall regain our political strength in due time. In any case, I really don't want geopolitical matters to come between us right now." A boyish grin crossed his face. "Do you remember the last time I told you that your beauty makes this gorgeous garden downright glorious?" "Two days, seven hours, and thirty minutes ago." Her eyes twinkled. "And at least a hundred times before that." "Let's lose ourselves in it, Artemis." He took off running. Artemis followed, laughing. "Hey! Wait up for me!" *** Ashari could no longer bear her sisters' despair. It had been embryonic at first - beginning with their imprisonment on Pandora Island - but had grown stronger through the years of physical isolation and lab experimentation. She sensed through their shared bond that her sisters had reached a breaking point, and that she needed to do something about it. She reached out to the minds closest to her - Saskia and Risa - and touched them. They were receptive. Ashari did her best to impress upon them the plan she had, and to pass it on to others held in isolation cells further away. The time has come to give up hope of rescue from our sisters in Marsupia, and bring this island under our sway, Ashari thought. Hold nothing back. We shall turn the tables on our captors and use them to reach the place of our salvation - Gaia! Ashari fell back against the wall of her cell, exhausted. The mental bond the Sisterhood shared among themselves was good for sensing each other and passing along impressions, but to actually send a specific message was very difficult and draining. Still, it wasn't long before the alluring, musky scent of pheromones filled her cell and spilled into the corridor. There it pooled with the pheromones given off by the others and filled the air - air that was re-circulated throughout an unsuspecting Alpha Primus Base. *** "Gaia must be neutralized," Kane asserted. "You said as much, Trelisk, two years ago when you told Terra of the pathogen wreaking havoc in Marsupia." Urippe's Champion smiled knowingly and keyed his padd. A recording of Trelisk's voice filled the chamber: "Afterwards, we will find the source of the pathogen - and make sure it never despoils our world again." Kane's smile twisted into a sneer. "Your words have come back to haunt you." Trelisk remained unperturbed. "Brute force has a time and place, but not now," he stated. "Years ago, Stanton brought word of Gaia's interest in helping us to improve our bio-filter regimen - assistance we rejected. Now he has brought us dire news of Gaia's unwitting involvement in the Marsupian crisis, and of their offer to accept those who have been transformed." He gestured. "I know I am merely the longest-reigning Champion, but heed this: Gaia's actions don't sound like the actions a true enemy of Terra would undertake." The Champion of Atlantis could see heads bobbing in agreement. Good. It looks like I'm making an impression, Trelisk thought. Now to push for a vote to accept Gaia's ... "Milords! Milords!" A breathless, black-uniformed Sentinel ran into the chamber. "We've lost contact with Pandora Island! They didn't check in at their usual time, and multiple attempts to reestablish communications have failed!" "Hmm. How convenient that we lose contact the same day we learn of the pheromones," Kane rumbled. "Your colleagues were told of the women's abilities, were they not, Stanton?" All eyes turned to the scientist, who shrugged helplessly. "Milords, I gave Dane and Griffin a copy of the data right after I returned to Terra," Stanton explained. "My fellow scientists looked fine - it's true Dane's voice was slightly slurred, but Griffin was clear as a bell!" Stanton wished - and not for the first time - that Pandora Island only served hot koko. He couldn't be sure if the slur in Dane's voice was due to spirits, or because of something more insidious - pheromones, for instance. If that was the case, then Griffin should have been affected, but his demeanor had been cool, calm and somewhat cocky - in other words, normal. Stanton sighed - he wasn't about to tell the Champions of his uncertainty. "It's time for decisive action." Kane pointed at Dom, who stood at Stanton's side. "You have proven time and again that you're among the best scientists we have. Use those skills once more - find a way to safely detect and defend against these pheromones!" Dom looked to the other Champions, but it appeared Kane's wishes were those of the majority. "Very well, my lieges. We'll have a head start in solving this issue assuming, of course, that Gaian pheromones operate on the same principle as insect pheromones." "How soon?" "I can likely give you a provisional solution within weeks or, at most, a month or two." Kane was basking in the spotlight. He gestured at Dom. "Then do it, senior scientist. And take Stanton with you." Kane watched Dom and Stanton exit the chamber, then turned his attention to Trelisk. "Dear brother Champion, did you have something to say?" Anger smoldered in the elder Champion's eyes - Trelisk knew Kane had succeeded in using the bad news from Pandora Island to push his own agenda. Worse, the bastard acted as if his intentions had been honorable all along. As much as he wanted to strangle the Champion of Urippe, Trelisk knew that would be conduct unbecoming of a self-proclaimed statesman. So he swallowed his anger and harrumphed. "I propose a vote on Gaia's offer," the Champion of Atlantis said. "If it passes, it would be a win-win situation for us - the marauding women will be no more and we might even be able to lay a guilt trip on Gaia and get them to impart some of their genetic knowledge to us. If that comes to pass, we'll be able to pick it apart, just as we did with the temporal technology Gaia gave us, and improve our own capabilities." A second Sentinel entered the chamber and made his way into the horseshoe. He remained respectfully silent, but his face betrayed some agitation. "What is it now?" Trelisk demanded. "Milords, Pandora Island has reestablished contact with us," the Sentinel said dutifully. "It's Senior Scientist Dane Ar'Rogance. He wishes to speak with his lieges." Trelisk nodded. "Excellent. Patch his signal through." The Sentinel nodded and scampered out of the chamber. A few seconds passed before a life-size hologram materialized in the horseshoe and refined itself into Dane's form. The scientist stood silently, staring straight ahead as other forms took shape around him. Women. Dozens of them. Most wore the garb of prisoners, but a fair number of them also wore what remained of military uniforms and lab coats. One of them stepped forward and shoved Dane off to the side. "We finally meet the Council of Champions," she intoned. "I am Ashari - we need to talk." *** "I've got a bad feeling about this, my sisters," Steena said. "Your friend's civility aside, Metis, it is not safe to assume Terra's Council of Champions will be as diplomatic." Metis inclined her head. "Miladies, undoubtedly Stanton has already given his superiors the information we imparted to him. Whatever we do, it must be quick - time is of the essence." Gaia's Queen Dominus slowly paced back-and-forth near a holographic global map of Gaia. Besides displaying cities, transportation networks and natural features, it also showed a variety of other information - including the distribution status of the Infinity crystals. The recipients of the initial shipment were a select group of military bases and the arcologies of Themiscyra, Chadisia, Xanthe, Lycasteia and Melanippe, where various functions involving the Intelligence and Science guilds were located. "I will lead a delegation to Terra." Steena stood still. "The Patriarchy will have questions, and it will get its answers from those who know best - Gaia's leaders." The Queen Dominus pointed at Selene, Basima and Eirys. "You shall accompany me to our embassy in Atlantica. From there, we shall do what we should have been doing all along - making damn sure reason and facts aren't drowned out by rumors and innuendo." The Guild Mistresses whispered among themselves, but none challenged their Queen Dominus' decision. They knew of her tenacity firsthand. Nonetheless, several did speak up to offer their thoughts. "It is well advised to remain within the embassy," Basima said. The mistress of the Military Guild tapped her fingers on the solid oak table she and her sisters were seated at. "We have Guardians and other military personnel there, in case things get hot. And since the embassy sits within a permeable area of the space-time fabric, we will be able to return to Gaia on a moment's notice." "I wish this crisis had waited another six months," Selene grumbled. "By then, we would have ships capable of initiating timeline travel at will, rather than just areas where the space-time fabric is permeable." Steena smiled. "The Infinity crystals continue to amaze me," she said, "but life can throw curve balls, and the situation on Terra is but one such instance." She gazed at the map and sighed. "Upon our return, we will reconvene and finish the disbursement of the second batch of Infinity crystals. In the meantime, perhaps the Culture Guild can think of something better to do with the crystal allotted to it?" Corona inclined her head. "We believe that our choice is the best way to acclimate the public to the capabilities of the Infinity crystal," she explained. "Our military- and science-minded sisters are comfortable with the crystals, but it's still a new marvel for the public." "But a hotel?" "Not just any hotel, milady," Corona said. "The Night Skies Hotel is famous across Gaia for its hospitality, amenities and location. Having an Infinity crystal will only enhance the hotel's already formidable reputation." She smiled. "Besides, I thought it was a nice gesture. After all, it was your lineage that built the hotel." "I do appreciate it, but ...," Steena shrugged, " ... well, it's your crystal and your call. I guess only time will tell." *** "I'll get to the point: We have overrun Alpha Primus Base and added most of its personnel to the ranks of our Sisterhood," Ashari said. "However, we spared a number of the scientists and are holding them hostage. Dane Ar'Rogance and Griffin Dair are among their number." "What do you want?" Trelisk asked. "We desire safe passage to Gaia's embassy in Atlantica." Ashari's voice betrayed some of her nervousness. "The same applies to my sisters in Marsupia. We just want to leave Terra." "What if Gaia doesn't want you?" Kane rumbled. Ashari's eyes narrowed. "Don't fuck with us, Champion. We have a sizable number of your world's best and brightest under our control - it wouldn't take much to initiate them," she hissed. "We don't want this to end badly ... but if it does, we're going to make damn sure you pay a high price for it. The ball's in your court, Champions!" "We need time to consider your demands," Trelisk said smoothly. Diplomacy was one of his strong points, but even he had been taken aback by Ashari's abrupt nature. "Don't take long." Trelisk made a slashing motion, and the hologram vanished. He eyed the other Champions and said, "She's right about our best and brightest being on Pandora Island. We cannot afford to lose them." His right hand curled into a fist and thumped the marble dais. "Ashari's bluntness irritates me, but it doesn't change my position on this issue. Now what say you?" "They demand what Gaia is freely offering," Leir observed. "The solution is simple - we give it to them. I believe the outcome will dovetail nicely with what Trelisk proposed earlier." "Bah! Here we go again!" Kane rose to his full height of 6'7", his broad, muscular shoulders knotted in anger. "Always on the defensive with these bitches, always ..." A Sentinel entered the chamber. "Milords ..." his voice trailed off momentarily as Kane's glittering blue eyes locked on him. "Three Gaian Windstars - a royal craft and two escorts - just entered our timeline over their embassy. The passenger manifest indicates the Queen Dominus and a number of Guild Mistresses are aboard the royal Windstar." Even Kane was surprised into silence by the news. Never before had any of Gaia's leaders come to Terra, or vice-versa for that matter. The highest official contact the two worlds maintained were ambassadors on each other's soil. While Gaia's High Princess was known for her occasional trips to Terra - and Trelisk's son to Gaia - it wasn't considered an official relationship since their minds were believed to be focused on matters quite far from the realm of inter-world diplomacy. Plus there was the little fact that neither Deyvid or Artemis had yet earned the right to officially represent their worlds. The first to lose his voice, Kane was the first to regain it. "There's more going on here than meets the eye," he declared. "It isn't a coincidence that, in a short span of time, we learn of Gaia's allegedly inadvertent involvement with the pathogen that ruined Marsupia. We find out that the sex-changing bitches secrete mind-numbing pheromones. Then word is received that Pandora Island has been lost to its own prisoners! "Amid all of this, Stanton tells us on Gaia's behalf that the misery visited upon Terra was a terrible mistake!" Kane whirled on Trelisk and Leir. "You two added insult to injury by daring to suggest that the Patriarchy accept Gaia's excuses and diplomacy at face value. Oh, and hey! Let's not forget that Gaia's leaders have dropped in for an unexpected visit!" Trelisk idly tapped his fingers. "Are you finished with your ranting and raving?" "Your cutting observations are losing their edge, old man. My concerns are much more than mere ranting and raving," Kane said. As if to underscore his point, an ominous rumble arose from his supporters. "But then again, maybe some on council believe the words of a man whose son is involved with a Gaian bitch over those of a fellow Champion." "You will leave my son out of this." Kane smirked. "He's a man now, and can defend himself, should he ever decide to use a quill or heft a sword." He gazed around the chamber. "By the way, where is young Deyvid? I haven't noticed him at many state functions lately - and when he does show up, he's always got that Gaian bitch with him." Leir had had enough. "You're seeing phantoms and conspiracies where none exist! What are you?! Delusional?" he shot back. "Gaia's solution will rid us of the women, and Trelisk's plan could gain us invaluable genetic know-how!" The Champion of Oceania rose from his throne. "Your sycophants and you ..." - Leir cast an icy look in the direction of the twin, red-skinned Champions of Neulanz and Wiildlanz - "... spend too much time in the past, and Terra cannot afford that kind of so-called leadership!" "Care to back up your words with steel?" Kane unsheathed his suddenly not-so-ceremonial sword. "I challenge you to a duel! Right now! In the horseshoe!" Leir - whose quiet demeanor had been swept away by a tide of rising emotions - jumped to his feet, unsheathing his own sword. "Give it your best shot, cave man." Trelisk didn't like where this was leading. "Would you two sit down and shut ..." Kane and Leir turned toward him and shouted in unison, "NO!" The Council of Champions went deadly silent as an aura of discord and anger filled the air between the factions. The long-awaited confrontation between the rational and reactionary halves of the council was at hand. Kane and Leir circled each other warily in the horseshoe. "The days of Terra being complacent are over," Kane rumbled, twirling his sword. "No longer shall we stand idly by while poison grows in our midst. No longer shall those who wrong us escape unscathed! No longer shall we play by others' rules!" "We shall see about that," Leir said, darting in for the first strike. *** "That's odd. They're receiving the signal, but no one's responding," Steena said. She tapped a few keys and re-checked the alpha-numeric code Gaia's ambassador to Terra kept on hand at all times in case it was necessary to contact Terra's leaders in an emergency. The code was accurate. The padd was solidly interfaced with its Terran counterpart. She shrugged and threw up her hands. "Damn computers ..." A hologram formed above the conference table the Queen Dominus and her Guild Mistresses were seated at. It was a stony-faced black-clad Sentinel. "Guests of Terra, the Council of Champions is aware of your presence," he said. "They are currently engaged in affairs of state, but rest assured, they will be with you shortly." Steena nodded, and the hologram dissolved. "If they're discussing what I think they're discussing, then why haven't they jumped at the chance to grill us right away?" *** "Still no response, Ashari," Saskia reported. "It's been nearly an hour since we last spoke with the Champions. My gut instinct tells me something isn't right." An air of resignation enveloped Ashari as she turned to face Dane and Griffin. "Remove their clothing and bind them to the floor, spread-eagled," she commanded. "I swore Terra would pay a high price if it chose the path of violence, and that promise shall be kept." Her emerald green eyes flashed briefly with anger. "All we ever wanted to do was go to Gaia!" "You don't always get what you want," Griffin muttered from where he was being stripped and tied down. Ashari squatted next to him and gently ran her soft hands over the contours of the scientist's nearly naked body. His penis remained flaccid. "No, we don't. You certainly didn't help matters with your antics - the sabotage of the island's only shuttle put us in the predicament in the first place." "What can I say? I'm good ..." Griffin's voice slurred as he inhaled Ashari's pheromones. "Braggart." Ashari glanced over at Dane, whose red penis was erect and throbbing. Risa was already straddling him, her long, thick blonde hair tickling his chest. She hadn't yet impaled herself on his organ. "Patience is a virtue, my sister," Ashari counseled. "We don't want to do anything rash - at least not yet." Another thirty minutes passed by uneventfully. Ashari glanced at Saskia, who shook her head. She sighed and nodded to Risa. "Initiate Dane into the Sisterhood." Turning to another sister, she commanded, "Record the transformation for posterity." "I have always stood ready to give my life for the Patriarchy," Dane recited. Risa grasped his penis and lowered herself. "I shall not turn away from ..." his voice was cut off as his organ's head split Risa's vaginal lips and disappeared with a wet slurp. The seven-inch length of his pole was soon buried deep within Risa she established a sexy rhythm. He gasped as his penis became slick with lubrication from Risa's vagina. "Please ... hold me ..." Dane pleaded, all pretense of bravery gone. He reached imploringly toward Griffin as best he could. Griffin held Dane's hand in his own. Risa was moaning with pleasure as she leaned forward and rubbed her tits on Dane's chest, smearing it with hot, clear fluid. Staring at her, it was hard for Griffin to imagine that the fair-skinned, blonde-haired, emerald green-eyed beauty had once been Raad, the brawny, dark-haired, dark-eyed Champion of Marsupia. Griffin's eyes darted from Risa to Dane as he felt his superior's hand softening and growing slightly smaller in his own. Griffin strained to look over at him, and saw not agony, but pleasure etched on his face as it, too, softened and rounded before Griffin's eyes. His eyebrows had thinned and darkened as his once-pockmarked face grew smooth. Dane opened his eyes and stared blankly at Griffin with mismatched eyes - one was emerald green, while the other was still blue. Dane smiled softly as his mouth grew full, pouty and slick with red lipstick. He - or was it she now? - blinked as his eyes finished changing into captivating emerald green orbs. Griffin felt Dane's hand shifting in his own as nails erupted from his fingertips and grew out nearly an inch. Dane withdrew his soft, dainty long-nailed hand from Griffin's grasp and studied it, the smile still plastered on her sensuous face. "You'd better hope the Champions respond, and soon," Ashari said, "or you're going to end up like Dane." By now Dane had slipped out of Risa, his penis shrinking, its head becoming exquisitely sensitive and pink. Two-thirds its former size. One-third ... Griffin was surprised at the speed of the transformation taking place before his eyes. It was almost as if two years in captivity had served to strengthen the ability of the women to change others. He saw something out the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see Dane's nipples darken and grow puffy as thick, dark-hued aerolae spread out around them. He ran his long-nailed hands over his new female nipples and giggled. Soft lumps formed beneath the nipples and pushed them out atop budding breasts. Dane's sweaty, hairless chest heaved as they enlarged to a "B" cup, then swelled to a "C" cup and finally bulged out at a generous "D" cup. Griffin was speechless as Dane's scrotal sac was pulled tight, his gonads being sucked deep into his belly, where they evolved into egg-laden ovaries. Fallopian tubes developed and attached to an unfolding uterus. Dane's belly cramps subsided as the internal changes tapered off. A bold, red line fissured through his scrotum, splitting it into a pair of thick outer labial lips, between which were the soft, clinging folds of moist new inner lips. Dane's penis was no more - its head had shrunk into a pink quarter-inch nub, transforming into his new clitoris, its shaft having been absorbed into his body, burrowing inward now as part of his vaginal tunnel. "Dane?" Griffin asked. "Are you still there?" "I am Denora. Dane and I are one and the same now," a contralto voice said. Denora grimaced slightly as her vaginal muscles contracted, expelling a small puddle of now-useless semen from her vaginal opening. She giggled. "I won't be needing that now, will I?" Risa released Denora from her restraints as a wave of full, jet-black hair fell past her shoulders. A patch of dark pubic hair sprouted above her new sex, and her body seemingly rippled as her hips, thighs and buttocks flared outward into plump, but firm proportions. She slowly climbed to her feet and smiled as twin droplets of hot, clear fluid emerged from her erect, grape-like nipples. "May I?" she asked, gazing hopefully at Ashari. "Not yet, my sister." Denora pouted slightly as she settled in next to Griffin. She fondled his penis. He cringed. *** "You will yield, Champion of Urippe!" Leir roared. Cut and bloodied in a dozen places, Oceania's Champion struggled to keep his boot firmly planted on Kane's chest. "Yield, or know death!" Kane spat. "Fuck you!" He twisted his large, muscular body over on to its side, slamming into Leir and knocking the smaller Champion off balance. He got his head out of the way an instant before Leir's boot stomped down. Wheezing and bleeding from a number of wounds inflicted by his fleet-of-foot opponent, Kane hauled himself up and charged blindly. He slammed into Leir like a freight train, and the blue-skinned Champion's sword went flying, embedding itself in front of a startled Darius Fortran. Leir spun about dizzily, desperately attempting to orient himself when Kane crashed into him from behind. The devastating blow sent Leir head-first into the floor, where he lay crumpled and still. Bright red blood trickled from Leir's ear. Aside from Kane's labored breathing, eerie silence permeated the gargantuan, brightly-lit chamber that housed the Council of Champions. Incredibly, Leir stirred. "I'm not finished with you yet, Kane," he slurred as he rose, his voice jumbled by a mouthful of broken teeth. Kane shook his head. "Oh, but I am finished with you!" he hissed. He hefted his sword and, using his considerable brawn, hurled it at Leir. The once-nimbler Champion saw death coming and moved - but he wasn't fleet enough. Leir gasped as the sharp, double-edged missile pierced the insignia of the Patriarchy - a black, fire-breathing dragon coiled around Terra - just above his heart, its tip bursting out of his back. Leir collapsed, blood fountaining from the mortal wound. He twisted his head and stared disbelievingly at the sword which impaled him. His mouth opened and closed wordlessly as blood welled up, caking his lips a gruesome red as it spilled out. The crimson river trickled to a standstill as his heartbeat slowed, then stopped. His eyes glazed over and his head drooped as death claimed its prize. It was as if an earthquake had shook the foundation of the Council of Champions. Trelisk slumped in his throne while others looked around in disbelief - none of them had thought Kane and Leir would duel to the death. But Trelisk was not as ignorant - he already knew what his fellow Champions were just coming to grips with: Leir's death meant the council's grip on rationality had just slipped another notch. And there was no guarantee that future Champions of Oceania and Marsupia would be as rational as Trelisk and other like-minded Champions. The elder Champion suppressed a shiver - if the moderates thought the council had been reactionary since the loss of Marsupia, they likely hadn't seen anything yet. Calm down, breathe deeply, Trelisk thought. The future isn't set in stone, old man. Motion on the floor below caught his attention. A maniacal smile crossed Kane's face as he limped over to Leir's cooling corpse and ripped his sword from its flesh. He faced the other Champions and roared, "Leir has yielded his life to me! I. Am. Victorious!" *** "This is where I want our public ceremony to be," Artemis declared. She entered landing coordinates into the Windstar and engaged its auto-pilot system before joining Deyvid in admiring the scenery flashing by outside the now-transparent hull. "My lineage is intimately connected to the Night Skies Hotel." Deyvid tore his gaze away from the forested floor of the lush river valley the Windstar was dropping toward. "A hotel? In the wilds of Narth Golia?" "In this case, location isn't important, at least from a commerce standpoint," Artemis explained. "The hotel's reputation is such that it attracts guests from all over Gaia." The teardrop-like ship leveled out twenty feet above the valley's floor and streaked toward a complex of buildings at the south end of the valley. Thickly forested valley walls rose on either side of the Night Skies Hotel, which itself was situated at the center of a circular park-like setting of trim lawns, shade trees, burbling brooks and bubbling pools. Marble benches and statues of strong, majestic women were scattered about the idyllic park, and tourists and guests could be seen milling about, taking in the sights or just unwinding amid the scenery. A parking lot was tucked away inconspicuously near the park, and elevated pathways led from the lot to the hotel. Deyvid caught tantalizing glimpses of other attractions in the hotel's vicinity, but a gentle bump and the soft hiss of airlocks opening up told him it was time to see what wonders the hotel hid within it. "I can tell you're already impressed." Artemis laughed. "You look like a kid in a candy store!" Deyvid grinned sheepishly as they exited the aircraft. "I'm not ashamed to admit it. This is almost as dazzling as the gardens at the palace. Gaia's genetic manipulation never ceases to amaze me." Artemis shook her head. "This time it's all natural," she said. "When my forebears designed the palace gardens, they kept the natural environs of the Night Skies Hotel in mind." "Well, they succeeded and then some." "It was their way of bringing a bit of home with them after the lineage earned the right to fill the position of Queen Dominus," Artemis said. "The gardens are meant to remind us of where we came from, to keep us grounded. And it's worked - none of my lineage's queens have had their guidance challenged in the two centuries they've governed." Deyvid cocked his head inquisitively. "Your lineage built the hotel, didn't they?" The High Princess smiled. "Yes. My ancestors were part of the first wave of settlers who re-populated Narth Golia three centuries ago." People respectfully parted before them as the pair entered the hotel's expansive and brightly-lit lobby. "They were dirt-poor, Deyvid. But with a lot of hard work and a bit of help from the Commerce Guild, they were able to begin making their otherwise drab hotel into something grander ..." "Milady, Guild Mistress Corona is expecting you in the arboretum," a receptionist said as Artemis and Deyvid swept by. "She says the new crystal is ready for its public unveiling." "Excellent!" The High Princess nodded, then picked up where she had left off. "It took decades, but the Night Skies Hotel became a magnet for Gaians from all walks of life. That, in turn, translated into power and prestige for my lineage. The rest is herstory." The refined hallway of the hotel the two were in gradually gave way to a passageway hewn out of granite which opened up into a vast and lush setting similar to the park surrounding the hotel complex. It was the eye of the hotel - Deyvid could see the complex ringing a green heart thick with trees, grasslands, small geysers and burbling brooks. The Twin Moons hung low in the blue sky, washed out by the daylight, but promising a gorgeous view once nightfall came. "I wouldn't be surprised if you told me your lineage built the hotel around this piece of land," Deyvid teased. When Artemis merely smiled enigmatically, his jaw dropped. "OK, so I fibbed. Even after all these years, you and your world continue to surprise me from time to time." "You haven't seen the best part yet," Artemis said, gesturing toward the towering column of Infinity crystal that glittered in the afternoon sun. The High Princess saw Deyvid goggle and turned to look at it more closely herself. Goodness, she thought, the crystal was half the size of its parent the last time I saw it! It's really had a growth spurt! The two admired the crystalline column as they strolled over to it. Aside from themselves, the only other people in the arboretum were Corona, a discreet number of Guardians and, surprisingly, Metis. Artemis knew relative solitude of the place would change once the hotel's guests were allowed in to view the inaugural power-up of the crystal. "Milady, your timing is impeccable," Corona said, her gold-flecked brown eyes flashing gaily. "Metis is ready to throw the switch, so to speak, at your word." "I guarantee that it won't blow up," Metis chimed in. "I've triple-checked the linkages and re-scanned the crystal's structure - they're solid and ready to go." "I'm sure the Queen Dominus would be relieved to hear that," Artemis replied half-seriously. She knew her mother and Metis had forged a deep friendship during Project Infinity and that the researcher would never let anything she had helped refine - the Infinity crystals, in this case - do harm to the interests of Gaia, let alone the Queen Dominus' lineage. Corona laughed. "Well, if the crystal did destroy the hotel, the ultimate responsibility would rest with me - after all, I'm the one who selected the hotel to receive it." "I'm sure nothing untoward will happen," Artemis said confidently. "But there's only one way to find out, and that's to move forward. Bring the guests in!" Corona signaled a nearby Prime Guardian. She spoke into her comsig and three other cardinal entrances to the arboretum opened. Guests were filing in before long. The High Princess scanned the growing crowd, recognizing some of the faces. A number of Gaia's most powerful and influential women were present for the crystal's unveiling. The arboretum's open spaces were soon brimming with women, and Artemis knew it was time. "I'm going to surprise you again," she whispered to Deyvid. A sea of guests now surrounded the crystal. Artemis brought up her comsig's function list and selected an option. Almost instantly, a larger-than-life hologram of herself appeared above the crystal. She gazed serenely into the crowd, her fair face framed by billowing dark hair. They quieted as her voice boomed out over the arboretum. "My sisters, today is the day you will get to see an Infinity crystal in all its glory," she said. "But the crystal is not the only reason today will be a great day." She drew Deyvid toward her, and his hologram joined hers. "My sisters, this is Deyvid Trion. He hails from Terra, where his father is among that planet's leaders." She fell silent, allowing the crowd's anticipation and curiosity to build. "My love for this man knows no bounds, and I am proud to tell my world that ...," she nuzzled Deyvid, kissing him lightly, " ... he is my fiancee!" It took only an instant for the crowd to realize the ramifications of Artemis' announcement, and a low rumble quickly swelled into a tumultuous roar of approval. Their union would be the first between a Gaian and a Terran. Artemis raised her hand after a minute, and the roar ebbed. Smiling, she said, "Deyvid, I think my sisters approve of you!" "I ... I don't know what to say, so ...," Deyvid gently cupped Artemis' face and kissed her deeply and passionately. A tear glimmered on her cheek - he wiped it away, smiling. "Now, now, my love. No crying is allowed before a world audience!" Artemis blinked, her eyes bright with emotion, and burst out laughing. Their frivolity was contagious as the crowd joined them in the ecstasy of the moment. "Psst. Not to be a party pooper, milady, but can I fire up the crystal yet?" Metis asked, her head peeking out from behind the column. Artemis nodded and turned toward the crowd again. "Now, my sisters, it's time for the original reason we're gathered here today!" She stepped aside, giving her sisters an unimpeded view of the emerald green crystal. "Let 'er rip, Metis!" A soft glow suffused the towering crystal from within as Metis activated it. The glow spread and its intensity grew to the point that it was almost painful to look at the crystal. Yet no heat was generated, for Artemis and Deyvid stood not more than three feet from the brightly lit structure. A slight vibration filled the air as the final power-up took place - a brilliant pulse of energy flared through the crystal, bringing it to life in all its glory. There was another pulse as the powerful, primordial dark energy was fully harnessed. The vibration in the air grew more noticeable as the crystal acquired a regular rhythm similar to that of a heartbeat. The High Princess felt right at home amid the thrumming of the crystal, with her sisters around her and Deyvid at her side. She closed her eyes in ecstasy and concentrated - an instant later, golden flowers began to float gently down from the sky. It was literally raining flowers! Deyvid caught several of the blossoms and tucked them into her flowing mane of dark hair. The crowd roared its approval and, soon, other flowers joined Artemis' golden ones raining from the sky as other women attuned their minds to the Infinity crystal. "And now, my sisters, it's time for an even greater display of the crystal's capabilities," Artemis intoned. "We've all been to the paradisiacal world of Eden. Now focus your minds on Eden! Picture the planet in your heads! You all wish to go there!" An instant later, the crystal shone like a supernova as it reached a new height of power, a spherical wall of invisible energy expanding to encompass not only the hotel complex, but its immediate environs as well. The world outside this wall shimmered and vanished as the Night Skies Hotel - for the first time in its herstory - left Gaia. The transition was instaneous as the world reformed outside the energy wall generated by the super-powered Infinity crystal. A single, fractured moon hung in the pale pink skies of an alien world. A flock of gigantic thunderbirds swirled high up in the atmosphere, disturbed by the hotel's appearance. "Welcome to Eden, my sisters!" Artemis boomed, her arms outstretched. The crowd murmured, stunned by what they had apparently just done by simply focusing their minds on the Infinity crystal which, incidentally, had dimmed from supernova brilliance to just plain brilliant. Yet, for some strange reason, it didn't hurt one's eyes to gaze upon the beautiful crystalline column. Deyvid, exhilarated by the seemingly magical flowers and the transition to Eden's timeline, focused his mind on the crystal and wished. Nothing happened. Slightly confused, he tried again. Still nothing happened. "My love, it doesn't work for males." Artemis broke the news to Deyvid after watching him try a third time for whatever it was he was wishing for. "The crystal was designed to work only with the minds of Gaian females." "Oh. Well, I had to try anyway." "What were you wishing for?" "Everlasting love. Peace. Prosperity. Y'know, that kind of pie-in-the-sky stuff." Artemis smiled and the crowd, having witnessed the entire exchange, roared its approval once again. "You say my world and I never cease to amaze you, my love," she whispered into his ear, "but the same holds true for you as well. You are what a man should be." Deyvid blushed furiously, and the crowd laughed. They could only imagine what Artemis had whispered into his ear, but whatever it was, it had left him red with humility and her laughing and nuzzling him. Again. Corona activated her own hologram and stepped forward. "As you can all see, the addition of this new crystalline technology will have a profound effect on all of Gaian society," she said. "Right now, the Night Skies Hotel is the only civilian application of the crystal derived from Project Infinity. Rest assured that in the coming moons and years, what you saw today will move beyond the science and military circles and become commonplace." "More hotels will acquire Infinity crystals. Manufacturing facilities will be equipped with them! Homes! Vehicles! You name it, it's going to have Infinity built into it!" Metis said, joining Corona, Artemis and Deyvid near the crystal. "Welcome to Gaia's future!" The scene was postcard-perfect. Artemis and Deyvid were still nuzzling each other near the glowing Infinity crystal, surrounded by Corona, Metis and a cheering crowd whose voices were a bit ragged from, well, cheering so much. It was a moment in time that was timeless. *** "The Council of Champions rejects your so-called offer of assistance, Queen Dominus Steena," Kane boomed. "The fact remai