A/N: ...on second thought, let's just cut the crap. Here's Chapter 8. Enjoy!
400 years after the Halo Event
Bornstellar… wake up.
That is Chant's voice. Distant and without emotion, but unmistakably hers. It cannot be a dream, since the stasis pods do not allow for such function, which can only mean one thing. Quest has completed its journey through the void. We have arrived.
To my surprise, this time I am among the last ones to wake up. When I arrive at the command center, it is already crowded. The ship has established orbit above a promising new homeworld from which to begin anew. I should feel relieved about this, except that every other Furling in the room seems worried, which makes me wonder what have they discovered about this planet or this galaxy that could be so troubling for us.
I look everywhere for Chant, and when I finally find her, I do not feel pleased by what I see in her eyes. "Is something wrong, my love?" I ask her.
She turns away from me and towards a console. "Look for yourself, Bornstellar."
As I approach, the command center walls become transparent, allowing for a complete and clear view of the planet below. It looks eerily familiar, but that is not what Chant wishes me to see. There is something more, something in the surface… Evidence of a sentient life form? Is the planet already populated? And by whom? Then, when a hologram of the same planet appears in front of me and it increases in size to allow for a more detailed view, I find a small cluster of structures… and some of the people who must have built them.
Primitive humans. They are not unlike the ones we took from the Ark to Erde-Tyrene after the Halo Event, although these may be slightly behind in their evolutionary path. They are certainly less evolved than the human populations back on the Lantean galaxy, but given time, they will reach that same stage.
How can this be? How is it possible that we keep encountering humans wherever we go? Surely these are the thoughts of each and all Furlings in this ship. And yet, somehow, I knew this would happen even before we left the Lanteans galaxy, before my 300-year long sleep.
"Everyone is shaken," Chant says. "They are afraid this is a sign of the Precursors, a message intended for us. They think it means there is nowhere to hide, that they are still out there and still intend on entrusting humanity with the Mantle… and with our destruction."
I stare at the hologram for a while, as if the answers I'm seeking for my people are hidden somewhere in it. And maybe they are. They have been there since we first arrived at another galaxy inhabited by advanced humans. Back then, the Mantle was teaching me, preparing me for the decision I would have to take one day. This day.
But I can't make this decision alone, nor can I force it upon my people. This is something we must all be agreeing to do, and it will be difficult to reach such an agreement, even though it could be the means to our redemption.
"Set a new course for the first planet you can find no less than a hundred light years from here," I order the ship's ancilla. "And warn the rest of the crew about the jump."
"Didact, what is your plan?" it asks. I choose not to answer. They will all know soon enough.
400 years after the Halo Event
Two days after arrival
The planet Quest found was uninhabited, but there was evidence that the Alterans once were here. The ship landed close to the ruins of what could have been one of their greatest cities, even if its architecture predates that of Atlantis. Several columns in and near the city have a name engraved on them: Vis Uban.
I have called for a meeting at the ship's central chamber, the place where we first gathered to decide whether or not to meet the Lanteans. I can actually see terror in some of the faces in the room as we all come together to discuss the most recent events. It takes me some time to call for order, but eventually the murmur of nearly a hundred Furlings subdues.
"My fellow Furlings," I begin, "I know there are some among you who have become distraught by the discoveries we have made during our journey. I know that some of you have started to question the meaning of these findings. Some of you have even begun questioning if this voyage is truly worth it, as all it has shown us is that the Mantle is against us in every way, favoring instead a race which seems to evolve everywhere and which we have considered inferior to us for a long time.
"But perhaps some of you believe as I do.
"My original fought humans for hundreds of years and came to despise them. I, on the other hand, became friend of two humans, and this friendship gave me a different perspective, one which allowed me to understand a simple truth when I met the Lanteans, a truth that the Mantle and its heralds, the Precursors, had always known: the human race is the best hope for preserving life in the universe."
My statement has caused a lot of unrest among the assembled. One of them speaks up. "The IsoDidact is insane! How can a race so inclined towards war and bloodshed preserve life? How could such creatures be worthy of the Mantle we upheld for millions of years?" Many Furlings all over the room agree.
"Are we any different?" I argue. "For all our accomplishments, for all our desire of knowledge, for all those millennia during which we supposedly upheld the Mantle, there is one thing none of us can deny. We are responsible not only for the destruction of the Precursors but also for the extermination of all the life they created in our galaxy. And while you may say we did so to save them, you know we did it just to save ourselves. How are we any different from the human race?"
I am certain that many Furlings want to object, but they cannot do so. We all know our sins.
"So far, we have encountered different human races in two different galaxies aside from our own. One of those races was not even from that galaxy, but from another one millions of light years from here. Who knows how many more galaxies have seen the dawn of human civilizations! The fact that humans have evolved not only in our galaxy but in others as well can only mean one thing: the Mantle has chosen them as protectors.
"The Lanteans have already fulfilled their role, but these humans are still young, and it will be many years before they reach a more advanced state in their evolutionary progress. I firmly believe it is now our duty to ensure these humans reach their full potential, and if necessary, to help them in their own journey to Reclamation.
"I would not say this if I were not certain of it. But today I stand before you, knowing that here we have found an opportunity to achieve the very thing we set out to find 400 years ago: redemption. We can redeem ourselves by helping the true inheritors of the Mantle reach their status as protectors of this galaxy instead of just leaving them to find it on their own. And if ever someone else were to rise against them, we must protect them from certain destruction until such a time when they are ready to protect themselves and others.
"This is our new role, our new mission, our new purpose. The universe is giving us a second chance to do things right, but it is up to us to accept it and make the best of it."
I speak no more. My people need time to think and reflect upon this before making a decision. I would like to think that they will come to see things as I do, but the truth is that there are still a lot of resentment against humans among the Furlings. It will not be easy for them to agree towards this course of action.
Ii's time for a recess. As everyone in the room starts coming together in smaller discussion groups, I walk towards the Lifeshaper who is speaking to a younger Lifeworker. Her name is Grow-Through-Trial-of-Change. I know her; she took care of my friend Morning Riser and the human populations brought to the Lesser Ark until we took them back to Erde-Tyrene during the reseeding.
"Bornstellar," Chant says, "Trial has come to me with an interesting proposal. I believe you should listen to it." I consent with a nod.
"Didact," Trial says, "if I may express my humble opinion, I believe you are taking the wrong approach if you intend to convince every Forerunner to help and protect these primitive humans."
"'Furlings'," I correct.
"Apologies, Didact."
"Accepted. Tell me, have I at least convinced you?"
"Yes, Didact. In fact, I believe all Lifeworkers will support you. But Builders, Miners, and Engineers–and especially Builders–will need more… convincing before deciding in favor of the human race."
For the first time, I feel fortunate to be the very last living Warrior-Servant. If Builders, Miners, and Engineers have not been yet convinced, Warrior-Servants would certainly not be willing to help their worst enemy.
"And you have something that could help?" I ask.
"Indeed, I do," Trial replies.
400 years after the Halo Event
Five days after arrival
This day will become a turning point on our history. Today, we decide… Today, we vote.
Two days ago, I called for a second meeting, but this time it was not I who spoke to them, but the Lifeshaper. I know most Furlings belonging to other rates believed she would just support the argument I had already presented. They were wrong.
"My brothers and sisters," she began with a calm voice, yet commanding an authority that even I had not been able to bring forth the day before, "there is no denying that we are different in many ways. We all come from different rates, guilds, and families. We all think differently, act differently, feel differently. But deep within, there is something that unites us all, something that goes beyond the genetic bond that makes us all Furlings: we all still wish to serve the Mantle.
"For millions of years, we worked hard to protect life, including our own. Then the Flood came and threatened to destroy everything we held dear. It challenged us, taunted us to try and do something to save every single life it consumed. And when we learned about its origins… everything we once believed, everything we stood for, was shaken and lost forever. In the end, we had no choice but to leave the ways of the Mantle and use the Halos to eradicate the life we had safeguarded almost since the dawn of our race.
"All done to ensure that the Flood would never again rise.
"We stand here today, each and every one of us, the last of one of the greatest races to ever inhabit the stars. We have finally put aside our arrogance and admitted that we never deserved the Mantle, that we took it by force and almost annihilated its true inheritors. But now we know that, one day, they will rise once more, and without us there meddling with their lives and the lives of others, they will find their own way and become everything we never were."
My eyes focused on each of the attendees, looking for any indication that they would charge against the Lifeshaper for saying such words. I felt somewhat relieved when the worst I saw was boredom in some faces.
"Yet for all we have planned and for all we have done before setting out on our Journey, we decided to take the risk of leaving our galaxy in the hands of the humans while the possibility still remains that the Flood may still return before the Reclaimers rise. After all, we have no way of knowing whether we killed every last Flood spore or if there are more somewhere out there, biding their time. And what will happen if the parasite does return and lay waste to everything in its path? What will happen if it somehow attains the knowledge and the means to venture further away from that galaxy and spread out to other stars beyond those they consume?
"What will happen if those humans fail?"
One could hear the falling of a drop of water amidst that silence. Everyone was now staring blankly at the Lifeshaper.
"What we have found in this Journey is more than just another human world. We have found an opportunity. Here is a word of which the parasite knows nothing about. We can take this human world and prepare its inhabitants to stand against the Flood if everything else we have done fails. This can become our backup plan. This can be our failsafe.
"We have already planted the seeds inside the humans of Erde-Tyrene. We can do it here as well. We must do it here as well. I am asking you to vote in favor of the Didact's proposal, not for the humans, but for ourselves and for everything we have worked for. Do not let your pride and grudges prevent you from doing what is correct. We may yet serve the Mantle if we can prevent the Flood from consuming everything!"
Chant made a compelling point. This was Trial's idea: to create an alternate version of Erde-Tyrene on this planet. The Lifeshaper presented it in such a way that no Furling dared attempt to speak against her. She left the room without another word and left our people to consider her words. That was yesterday.
Now, I am the one who is standing before them again. And once I know for certain that every single Furling has attended this final meeting, I raise a hand to call for attention.
"My people, is there anyone in this ship who would like to bring forward another proposal or to refute the one we have already presented?" No Furling replies. "So be it. And know this: if any one of you decides not to approve this plan, none of us will follow through with it. This has to be a unanimous decision.
"Now I ask you: Who will stand in favor of this proposal?"
500 years after the Halo Event
It is done.
It took a hundred years of extensive research and preparations, but finally our plan has been enacted. Over the course of a few weeks, Chant and her Lifeworkers have visited every single human in their sleep and imbued them with geas, specially modified for these specimens but containing the same set of 'instructions' we placed in the populations left at Erde-Tyrene. Even if these humans remain 500 years behind their counterparts in our former home galaxy, we have ensured that they, just like those, will eventually reach an advanced stage in their evolution, enough to take their place in this galaxy as Protectors.
As for their homeworld—which we have named 'Altera' after its original human inhabitants—, we need only make a few… adjustments to the layout of its landmasses. In the course of the next thousand years or so, a number of machines we have deployed beneath the planet's crust will generate a series of small, harmless shockwaves that will shape the continents of this world to make them look like those of Erde-Tyrene, so that these humans will populate every part of this planet following the same paths as those at Erde-Tyrene. The rest of the planets in this system were also modified to match the Erde-Tyrene system.
Quite possibly the only real difference between 'our' humans and these will be that these will not have the benefit of the legacy we left behind in the form of artifacts and technology back in our galaxy for the Reclaimers. Still, given enough time, they will reach the same level of advancement we once achieved, maybe even higher.
For we shall not reestablish our great ecumene in this galaxy nor anywhere else. We are not masters anymore but servants at the service of the future upholders of the Mantle. As such, we have left Vis Uban and moved to another planet, one completely uninhabited and with a Stargate. Here we can rebuild our civilization from scratch, not to guard but to humbly guide others. This is our new homeworld.
My wife has the knowledge we need to begin anew as a great yet lower race—knowledge attained by the Librarian when she travelled to Path Kethona and passed down to us along with every record of every research Lifeworkers ever conducted. According to the Librarian's account, when she was at Path Kethona, she encountered the descendants of Forerunners who had gone into a self-imposed exile millions of years ago—just after they had killed every Precursor they had been able to find. These people had devolved so much, both physically and mentally, that they had become more like humans than Forerunners, but for all intents and purposes, they were still Forerunners.
Upon her return, the Librarian formulated several theories about how those exiles had managed to devolve. She finally came up not only with an answer but also with a genetic treatment that would allow for other Forerunners to do the same thing. Chant now asserts that if the next generation of Manipulars is not given our genetic imprint, she can make it so that they devolve physically into something similar to what those Forerunners became while retaining the knowledge and mental capabilities we now have, using the Librarian's original research as a basis to conduct her own.
I believe she can do it. So do our children, who have already volunteered to be the first test subjects. They still have to wait some time before this, though, but I already begin to see the makings of leadership in many of them. They will become great Furlings when the time comes.
For the moment, I must still lead my people in this new path, and I will continue to do so for many more centuries. However, my wife and I have already started to consider the possibility that the Furlings may yet need us at a time when we are no longer present. Perhaps there is a way… Perhaps…
70,000 years after the Halo Event
Pride. Not selfish, but humble.
When I was placed in the timelock I built over sixty thousand years ago (the device was based on the one the humans had created to contain the Primordial), my race had already progressed far beyond my wife's and my greatest expectations. But today, I have seen our descendants and the fruits of their labor… and I am proud of them.
They have become a great and wise race, united as one. Titles such as 'Builder' or 'Lifeworker' are no longer used to describe rates but mere professions. There is a governing body, but its members do not consider themselves above the people who have appointed them. They are all equals. But most importantly, they have not used their might to rule over the rest. I had feared that, over time, the temptation to return to our old ways would overcome our children. Now, I can say this with utmost joy.
These people—my people—are the Furlings.
Sixty thousand years ago, I left explicit instructions that I was not to be reawakened unless the circumstances were really dire. Such is not the case this time, but we still have to be cautious about this delicate situation.
A planet exists that is home to two different species. One is an extremely resilient bipedal life form, sentient but rather primitive. The other is a parasite, a snake-like creature capable of burrowing into the heads of larger beings, effectively possessing it and exerting complete control of its host. A group of Furlings who were exploring the planet had a close encounter with these parasites. Some of our people were taken over by them, and the parasites immediately displayed an ability to communicate through the hosts. Those who avoided the creatures were able to capture the infected and bring them back to our world, where they remained under custody until I was reawakened. They were brought before me, and I questioned them.
The parasites call themselves the Goa'uld. Despite their natural inferiority, they have displayed quite an advanced level of intelligence, but they also show signs of extreme deviousness. They refused to willingly let go of their hosts, and so the Lifeworkers had to remove the creatures forcibly. The hosts survived and have resumed their duties, although they will not soon forget their unpleasant experience. The extracted Goa'uld perished during the process.
If only the Flood could be as easily eliminated…
Somehow, the bipedal creatures that share their world with the Goa'uld have avoided becoming their hosts; if that changes, though, and the Goa'uld use them to leave to other worlds by means of the Stargate, they could eventually become a menace. Had we faced this problem during our era as Forerunners, we would have opted for a permanent solution before the situation progressed any further, such as the complete destruction of the parasites or the removal of the Stargate from the planet to strand them there.
For the moment, we can only be wary and vigilant.
I have now returned to the small tower where I have lay in slumber for the past several thousand years—the Didact's Temple, as our descendants have called it—and entered my timelock. In a few moments, the Lifeworkers in charge of the tower and the device will activate it once more, and I will find myself suspended in time until my people have need of me again. And just as the timelock is about to be activated…
I see her.
My wife. Not Chant; before we wished each other our final farewell, she chose to spend the remainder of her days in trying to achieve Ascension, based on the few things we were able to learn about it during our short time in Atlantis.
No. The person right in front of me is my first, eternally young wife…
The Librarian.
90,000 years after the Halo Event
Ninety thousand years of planning and working to ensure that the humans would be protected… all torn asunder.
Not ten days ago, the timelock was once more deactivated. However, instead of finding myself among Furlings, I was surrounded by a sizable number of humans. The next thing I knew, I had been overcome by a bright light, and when it vanished, my captors and I were in a different place. I was aboard a ship, the likes of which I had never seen before, by means I still cannot comprehend.
Other Furlings were there as well, also under guard, and there were a few other beings too, walking around the room we were at. Some of them were small and skinny, even shorter than a Florian like Riser, but they were not human at all; in any case, they had a humanoid appearance. They wore no clothes, but on closer inspection, they did not have anything to hide at all. They had heads proportionally bigger than the rest of their bodies and large, black eyes that seemed to analyze their surroundings down to a molecular level.
The others actually had an uncanny resemblance to Riser, albeit with a… messier hair. Them I was amazed by. The way they walked; the way they talked; the way they looked into your eyes and burrowed inside the very depths of your soul. It was as if they were one with the Mantle; indeed, these were the most peaceful people we had ever met.
Soon, I would learn that the ones who looked like my old Florian friend were called Nox, that the smaller ones were called Asgard, and that both races were allies to the humans who had captured us. And the humans themselves were Alterans, evacuees from Atlantis who had just come back to Altera via the Stargate… and had learned about our interference with the humans on the planet.
And now, we were being taken to our trial.
I cannot imagine through which means they could have known about our interference so fast, other than the possibility that we had been watched since the moment we began meddling with the humans' fate. True, we did it only with the best of intentions… but then, we also took the Mantle upon ourselves millions of years ago with the best of intentions. Since the moment we met the Lanteans—now, once more, Alterans—, I wondered when the universe would decide that it was time for us to face justice and make amends for our sins with our lives. Now, it seems as though that day has come.
In spite of the fact that we were convicts on our way to our trial, we had been granted the liberty to wander about the ship as long as we had an escort with us at all times. I left the room I had appeared at with two armed Alterans behind me. I found a window overlooking our planet, and just before leaving, I had the opportunity to behold it once more.
It felt as though it would be the last time I would see it.
The journey was quite short; we have already arrived. The world we have been taken to looks like an even darker version of Edom, the fourth planet in the Erde-Tyrene system—and consequently, the Altera system. Once more, we are transported in the blink of an eye from the ship to the surface, where a large, lone mountain dominates the landscape—and the massive courtyard of an ancient city, clearly Alteran in design, possibly built even before Vis Uban.
In this courtyard, a large gathering of all three of the races we saw aboard the ship are waiting for us in solemn silence, as well as three representatives from each race who are sitting around a stone table about a hundred yards in front of the Stargate and who will surely act as judges. We are guided before them.
The Alteran in the center of the table stands. He is a bald, elder man who despite his size looks taller than anybody else in this place and who displays in his face the wisdom and strength of a great, seasoned leader.
"Stand before Moros, High Councilor of Atlantis!" someone on the background speaks in our language, and his words echo throughout the courtyard. The former Lantean focuses his gaze on me.
"IsoDidact," he begins with a loud and clear voice. "Known to some as Bornstellar-Makes-Eternal-Lasting. Former Warrior-Servant and Promethean Commander, and the last great leader of the Furlings. You and your kind have been brought here to be judged by this Alliance for crimes committed not only against the people of this galaxy, but also against the people of your home galaxy."
These first words make me flinch. They already know more than I thought possible.
And there is no denying our fault.
90,000 years after the Halo Event
15 days after the Alterans' arrival
The first part of the trial lasted for hours, as the councilors took considerable time to describe each of our crimes, none of which were false, although some of them had been somewhat exaggerated. Still, the information they gave was quite thorough and accurate. It could not be otherwise, since it came from many Furlings who were brave enough to admit every single sin our kind had ever committed when questioned by the Alterans days ago.
When the judges had finished reciting the long list of crimes, I gathered enough courage to pronounce my very first words in all day. "Honorable Alterans," I began, "I have listened to each and every one of the accusations against us, and before you pass sentence, I only ask that you let me speak before this Alliance."
Moros graciously conceded me the word, and I turned to address the crowd around us.
"Noble and wise Alterans, Nox, and Asgard. I stand before you this day, not to refute any of the crimes you have listed, but to confess them. We are guilty. We took by force something that was not intended for us, and from that moment forward, we have done more harm than good to the universe. We destroyed an entire galaxy and interfered with the affairs of another one… and we defended our actions claiming that it was for the greater good.
"We have been fools.
"That is why my people and I have always known that this day would come… and we have been preparing for it. We have tried to make amends in as many ways as possible, and now we are at peace and ready to receive our punishment. But before that, there is something you must know.
"You have spoken of the Mantle as nothing more than a mere philosophy. It is not. The Mantle is the exalted preservation of life throughout the universe, the joy of life's interaction with the Cosmos, the flow of Living Time. It creates, it brings balance, and it entrusts those who are worthy with the responsibility for all living things. We were not worthy, but we still took this responsibility upon ourselves, and we brought only death and destruction. You, however, have taken your place and fulfilled your role, even without fully knowing it. All of you have become guardians, protectors, and caretakers. Even this trial is proof that you serve the Mantle. You have been chosen, indeed!
"Now, I beg of you: heed these words.
"Over ten million years ago, my kind rose against those who had given us breath and form, and of whom you were once allies. After driving them away from our galaxy, my ancestors fought and destroyed the Precursors—or so they thought. Then, we assumed the role of caretakers and enforcers of the Mantle, and called ourselves Forerunners. And our first crime was forgotten by everyone… except the Precursors who survived. In order to escape, they became dust that could regenerate their past forms. They placed themselves in automated ships which would then float in space for many millennia, returning to us. But that time rendered the dust defective. Instead of regenerating the Precursors, it gave birth to a terrible plague that would soon grow and consume everything in its path. We came to know it as the Flood.
"The Forerunners fought this parasite for centuries, and only when it became apparent that there was no other way, we used an array of weapons built as a last resort to destroy the Flood… and everything they fed upon. And even though we reseeded the galaxy with every life form we could save, there is still a possibility that the Flood may yet return one day. And if the Reclaimers of the Mantle in our galaxy fail to destroy this plague, nothing will be able to stand between it and the rest of the universe.
"We have done what we can to ensure this never happens again. Now, all of you must continue to do the same. Protect everyone in this galaxy, but especially the humans. They have the potential to become a great race. This we have learned from you," and here I turned to acknowledge Moros and the Alterans. "Certainly, the ways in which we tried to preserve and prepare the humans on Altera were not the best, but we did so knowing that it would help them rise and take their rightful place. You cannot let them be harmed by anything or anyone! The future of the universe depends on it!"
And after that, I fell silent.
We were taken back to the ship for the night while the Alliance Council deliberated on our verdict. At dawn, we were transported back to the planet, where once again a large number of people awaited for the final decision of the judges. While we waited for them, I noticed one of the Alterans among the crowd was staring at me in a different way than the rest. It was a sympathetic look.
The councilors finally arrived. All of them took a seat, except Moros who call me forth.
"Didact, over millions of years your kind has brought more devastation than any other race ever to inhabit the known universe. Your actions as a race unleashed a series of events that resulted in the creation of an abomination, and you personally are responsible for the deaths of untold billions of lives. Not even the death of every single one of your people could be enough payment for these crimes.
"However, the Nox have convinced this Council that at least some of your actions were done with atonement in mind. After all, you did try everything in your power to safeguard as many lives as you could before and after activating the Halos, both in your galaxy and in this one. Your people have not arisen ever again to take on a role that is not yours, but you have instead shared knowledge freely to many more races in this galaxy.
"So, in light of all this, we have decided to spare your life and the lives of your people. But you shall be banished to the planet you chose as homeworld, and you will never again be permitted to go anywhere else. You will be allowed to thrive in your world, but you will not be allowed to create anything that might become a means to leave it. And if any of your kind were to defy this sentence, you will all be doomed. This is our verdict."
"You cannot do this!" the Alteran I saw before rose and shouted out loud for everyone else to hear. "This is hardly a just sentence! They deserve something better than—!"
"Silence, Janus!" Moros exclaimed. "Do not try my patience any further, or the next trial will be yours!"
The Alteran Moros had referred to as Janus reluctantly took back his seat. And when I turned to see him, she was by his side. No one else seemed to notice her, not even him.
Was this a figment of my mind, a hallucination of some kind? Otherwise, how could she be here?
"You will be given seven Earth days to call your people back from any other world they may be in now," Moros concluded, focusing his attention back on me. "No Furling shall remain outside of your planet after that time, lest we bring the full force of our justice upon you. This trial is over."
And with those last words, we were taken once more to the Asgard ship that had brought us there.
My people are now returning from every last corner of the galaxy to our homeworld… a small orb in the middle of a vast galaxy which in time will become our final resting place. I suppose out of all the fates that could have befallen us, this is definitely not the worst of them. Here, my kind and I will have a chance to finally become one with the Mantle as we spend the remainder of our days in meditation and preparation to begin our true Great Journey to Ascension.
Our quest is over.
A/N: OK, now that we're done with this chapter...
To be honest, I felt kinda disappointed to receive only 3 reviews for the previous chapter; then again, I did ask you repeatedly (perhaps even annoyingly) to read the Forerunner Saga before reading Chapter 7. Whatever the reasons, I just hope the sudden decrease in reviews has nothing to do with something I might have said, but if that is the case, I offer you all my most sincere apologies.
I also know that Chapter 7 was sort of slow and even boring, but it was neccessary to understand the rest of this 'backstory'. I just hope I made some amends with this one, and I certainly hope you'll love the next one, as it will reveal a couple more things that will be crucial to the rest of the present-day story.
I won't promise anything this time, as I have discovered I'm not that good with self-imposed deadlines. Just bear with me a little, please?
My challenge remains: how many 'seven' references can you find? See you soon!
