So it goes!

No, I have not forgotten to write the sequel to Someone Else. In fact, I started planning it out and writing it in December. I haven't just finished it or anything, it's just I have been writing and planning ahead so I wouldn't fall behind. I know exactly where this is going, and where all the plot threads are leading to, whereas I didn't at first in Someone Else.

This chapter's a bit short, but too long to put in chapter one itself. It's about as long as Chapter One was in Someone Else (Critical Ascension). These chapters will get quite long as time goes on, although they tend to vary from 4k all the way up to 7k words.

It's only meant to be introductory anyway.

This is the prologue to the story, I hope you enjoy it!

Prologue

Peace.

It seemed such a feeble concept now. It was persistent, but was only defined by its antithesis. Its opposite was enough for whole races to run and hide, run and hide because the great monster was coming – war.

As horrible as it was, peace could only exist if war occurred to create it. Conflict between opposing forces created tragedy, and it was that tragedy that prompted both sides to negotiate peace. If there were no wars, everything would seem perfect at first. However, humans do not accept the idea of perfect in the real world – it doesn't feel right to them. Therefore, the whole system of civilisation would collapse in on itself, as even petty disagreements between many were non-existent.

So when the Anomaly ultimately decided not to end all conflicts, I was not surprised. Anyone would have killed for the chance to stop tragedy, but eventually the thought comes to mind that, despite its innately unspeakable circumstance, we need tragedy and loss in our lives.

Amelia Rye, the Anomaly's sister, claimed to me that we require it to be human, and make human choices. I considered this for a moment, before exclaiming to her, "Blasphemy! Humans destroy lives just as much as they cherish them!" She looked at me, disgusted, and replied, "Humans end lives to save lives."

It sounded preposterous, quite honestly. How could the maintenance of one life justify the termination of another? I did not see her logic, but, then again, I am not human myself.

However, I spent a great deal of my time inside a human's head – the Anomaly, or, as he designates himself, Matt Rye. I could observe his choices all laid out in front of me, and many them did indeed display the "human" characteristic Amelia Rye described to me.

I call this characteristic the "Human Factor", for I have so far seen this factor as the most evident throughout humans. Eridians, and multiple other races, show the Human Factor as well; we all would like to salvage our own civilisations in the midst of war, and the only method would have been to fight back.

This Human Factor, of being ready and willing to sacrifice one's own life to save others, is especially peculiar in Matt Rye. While I always planned for him to become a physical link within the Infinite – ever since he survived the Genisys Project – I did not anticipate how willing he would be to do it, if it meant saving countless lives. The Anomaly was well aware that the covenant was an unbreakable bond, which would limit his future prospects, but nevertheless he still did it.

The Human Factor is measured in points. 0 – 50 is selfish, 50 – 100 is considered average, 100 – 150 is seen as moralised above average, and 200+ is seen as utterly selfless. Matt Rye scores 320 on that scale, with his romantic interest scoring just below that, at 290.

I created the Human Factor Scale not just to observe human behaviour, however. I needed to know the degree of this Factor within the main participants of the oncoming Great Monsoon war, so when life-changing choices are made, I can determine the conduciveness of the deliberators.

I speak of the Great Monsoon because it will define all other conflicts – past, present or future. Desirably so, the outcome may lead to peace, but the cost of that peace may be so exuberantly high that it would seem redundant. Put simply – so many will die that the peace that follows will be unstable, leading to more war.

Aforementioned, war is the glue between intervals of peace, in a sense. Peace cannot exist without prior conflict, so that is why I wonder constantly whether or not attempting to prevent the Great Monsoon, or its corresponding outcome, is truly effective or even possible. If a ruler sends a negotiator to ease tension between kingdoms, does he risk stagnation between them?

Furthermore, I wonder if the Human Factor would provide aid in lessening the effects of the so-called Great Monsoon. The Anomaly's determination to save others would hopefully increase likelihood of winning. At what cost, though? And the Vault Hunter has his limits. Everyone does.

My fellow Eridians doubt my decision to use the Anomaly as the flagship to the war. They believe I should do it, since I possess the combined intelligence of numerous Eridians, plus my nature as the one of the oldest Eridians in existence. However, whilst I understand their logic, Matt Rye is destined to become the most powerful being in the universe. He already did, at one point – when I possessed him. His initially artificial connection to the Infinite has since become stronger than any Siren's to date, and his half-human nature also means that he does not risk losing his humanity in the process.

Allying with the soon-to-be most powerful being in all the dimensions doesn't seem like a bad idea. No, he has not reached his potential yet, but who is to say he won't?

Obviously, though, I will lead a great deal of the conflict, and exist as his advisor. As Head Scientist and Philosopher, my job is wisdom and advice. There is no promise that any of my efforts will succeed, however.

'Enlightener?' An ambient voice called up to me. I looked down at my subject, atop my ruling chair, surrounding by a Greek-like pantheon of other Eridians. Unsurprisingly, I now stood in the presence of Matt Rye, and his sister, who stood behind him.

'What is it you desire, Anomaly?' I replied casually. 'Or do you wish to waste my time?' Matt was taken aback at this, his brown eyebrows raising in shock.

'Er…no, of course not.' He spoke as if I blasphemed regularly. Of course, I did not.

'Proceed.'

'Pandora,' the Anomaly said. 'It's going to be used as your main base of operations.'

'Indeed it is. Your point?'

'I think I need to be there for that.'

'Oh, do you?' I, rather audaciously, remarked. 'It's been four years, in their dimension, and you decide now is the time to make your grandiose return?'

'I'm not stupid, Enlightener,' Matt angrily sneered. 'I've done my waiting. The Great Monsoon is almost at hand, and you've been keeping me here until the time was right for me to come back. I can feel the disturbance in the Infinite, they are coming back soon.' (A/N: There has been a disturbance in the Force!) I rose an eyebrow. 'You know who I'm talking about. If you don't do something now, there will be serious consequences for your misjudgement.'

'I was not aware that you were a foreteller of our fate,' I sarcastically derided him. 'You were placed here under your own choices! Do not tell me when you get to leave!'

'I'm not scared of you. I've been inside your head. You're just as scared as the rest of us. Let me ease your fear. You said yourself that I may be the key to turning the tide in this Great Monsoon. So why don't you let me?'

I hissed at him, almost territorially. This insolent child believed he matched the wisdom of some of the most intelligent Eridians ever to have lived. Ridiculous.

I turned my head to Amelia Rye.

'And what is your deliberation, Dreamer?' I demanded of her. She looked up at me with defiance. These last four Midgardian years had definitely matured her mind some. (A/N: Midgard is just another name for Earth. Like Norse mythology.) She wasn't a teenager anymore.

'I agree with Matt,' Amelia answered. 'He's been gone long enough. You don't want all the prophesied loss, yet here you are, allowing it to happen!'

'Your deal with us is all-encompassing,' I reminded them. 'You should not have accepted it if you did not think it to be so.'

'I knew it was,' the Anomaly ensured. 'But I assumed that you had the foresight to know that not allowing me to return could be catastrophic!'

'You are not allowed to fully leave the Infinite, I hope you know that,' I responded. 'Lest you forget, without a suitable human host, your universe would collapse, which would also result in the collapse of the Infinite!'

'Amelia is half Infinite energy,' the Anomaly pointed out. 'If she is beside me, I have a complete connection to the Infinite. One half by my Siren nature, the other by her.'

'That is an impromptu alternative. It would not last forever; you would be required to return to the Infinite.'

'That's fine!' Matt exclaimed at me. 'Just as long as I have enough time to prevent this incoming apocalypse, or at the very least, prevent the outcome!'

I had to consider this with my fellow Eridians.

This seems like the only plausible option, one claimed in my head.

'It was indeed decided that the Anomaly would return at some point,' the Teller, one of the Eridians sitting at our meeting, said.

'His method may indeed succeed in our favour,' Esog the Watcher chimed in. 'I did not prevent the execution of the Vault Hunter known as Athena for no reason. I did not interact with the events on Elpis for no reason. It would be foolish not to send in our most powerful asset.'

Desperate times correspond to desperate measures, one of the Eridian personas advised me in my head.

Matt's tone could be resolved later. We had a war to win. Sending in our most powerful soldier could be effective, but sending him in right out the gate could also lead to failure in the long run. If our enemy is aware of the threat almost immediately, they could adapt to it. And this particular opposing side could definitely adapt to the likes of Matt Rye.

I found myself concerned at the havoc the Anomaly could wreak, if he were allowed to roam free. While I do not wish to worry myself too much with his wellbeing, if even the slightest aspects were screwed up – for lack of a better term – then the Eridians would almost certainly be wiped out by his foolishness.

Since he is only twenty-five, the Anomaly would definitely possess some level of immaturity that an over a trillion-year-old entity like myself would not. Hence, I would have to oversee the Vault Hunter's actions, lest they get out of hand. However, the Anomaly is known for his part-recklessness, and it has so far yielded him satisfactory results – mainly in that it hasn't killed him yet.

This discussion was one-sided. I seemed to be the only one present who saw the disadvantage of sending in the Anomaly so early. However, the Vault Hunter would likely not back down until he received what he wanted, so that he could help save lives.

Curse that Human Factor!

Sometimes the selflessness of humans like Matt Rye was annoying. He would give up his life if it meant salvation without a moment's notice, throwing caution to the wind and embracing recklessness. He was doing so without effort, and it seemed as though the Human Factor had infected some of my allied Eridians, and increased its prevalence within them, which many could say clouded their judgement and inhibiting their logical thinking.

I did not suggest to the Watcher to rescue the Gladiator, nor did I sanction it. Rather, she chose to do it by herself, believing that the Vault Hunters required more information on the Great Monsoon. Once Esog returned from her deed, she claimed that the Gladiator's execution would be great foolishness, as it would merely be reducing the military force needed to combat the war.

It was most likely the Human Factor that drove her latter decision. Nonetheless, it was an advantageous choice, despite the risks involved – for example, revealing our presence to the enemy may prompt them into war earlier than expected.

The Watcher has been the main observer of their actions over the past four years, and even before then, so I trusted her judgement when she told me that we required all the Vault Hunters we could feasibly obtain. She also has knowledge on some future events, more so than me, so it would be foolish not to listen to my fellow Eridian.

However, I have not been shackled by the Human Factor as excessively as my peers. My ability to view things objectively is an essential trait of my being, as possessing multiple minds would be overbearing if all of them were subjective. Therefore, I do not worry myself with insignificant details or express favouritism towards others, so it does not seem to me that I can be selfish in any capacity.

Despite this, I find myself conflicted. If I were to think of things objectively, then giving one's own life to save others is a simple option. From an objective viewpoint, no one life is technically worth more than another, so one can be given up to save another. If you were to die to save millions, it would be an obvious choice, as one life is not worth more than several million. But destroying one life to better another's seemed illogical since neither could be worth more than the other.

So, from that area, I can understand Matt's want to sacrifice his own life – however, I know that the Anomaly is anything but objective. He is not selfish, but his emotions take full throttle over logic, whilst the latter dilemma requires only logic.

That is why, when faced with the demand of Matt Rye to send him back to his original domain, I considered whether logic here is more considerable over emotion and subjectivity.

'Very well,' I eventually decided. 'You may return to the Earthly domain. You must come back to the Infinite once the ordeal is over with, and that is an ultimatum.' I watched as the Anomaly breathed a sigh of exorbitant relief.

'Thank you, Enlightener,' he acknowledged, his sister nodding to me.

'Do not question my judgement again,' I forcefully demanded. 'And do not believe that this…Human Factor…has influenced me in any way.'

'I wasn't suggesting that,' he replied humbly, aware that I could end him at a moment's notice.

'Send my regards to the Mechromancer,' I said with mirth. Matt nodded at me again, before turning around and leaving the throne room.

The Watcher, the Teller, and numerous other Eridians all turned to look at me, with a telepathic beam of surprise and acknowledgement.

'That was a wise decision, Enlightener,' the Teller assured me. I looked at him with a frown that quietened him instantly.

'I do not wish to make foolish decisions,' I responded, almost sounding hurt at the implication that I required an assurance.

'We are aware of that,' Esog told me, quite confidently. 'But we are all afraid of the Great Monsoon. It is difficult for us to make informed decisions ourselves, and I am not sure the amalgamation of the greatest Eridian minds would fare so well either.'

'You needn't concern yourself with my leadership abilities,' I told her, rather aggressively. 'I am quite competent.'

'We know that too,' the Wanderer, another Eridian, said. 'But competency has its limits.'

'That, I am certain, you are accurate about,' I agreed.

Amelia seemed more excited than Matt.

'I wonder what it'll be like!' She exclaimed. 'I haven't had a physical presence within our home domain for years!'

'Just be thankful I found a way for it to be possible,' Matt retorted, annoyed at her overenthusiasm.

'Well, you're using some of your own DNA to give me a physical body,' Amelia commented, almost obviously. 'Of course I'm thankful, you dummy! I'm just excited! It's been so long since I've felt the ground beneath my shoes, or the wind on my face! To finally have the mind of a human again!'

The Infinite had changed Amelia. It had turned her into a walking meat puppet, basically, and her mind was not entirely her own. She didn't think like a human anymore, nor act like one, until Matt came around. He had aided her in recuperation, restoring her mind to her original state of upbeat innocence.

As a result, she still behaved like an innocent child, since she had been raised that way up until her death, and not so much like a twenty-year-old. Even though, undoubtedly, she had grown more mature over the years. As shown with the Enlightener, when in the present of formality, she behaved confident and serious, but was incredibly ecstatic when not in polite company.

'Just stick close to me and –' Matt began.

'Don't wonder off…' Amelia finished. 'I'm not a little kid anymore. I can fend for myself, you know.'

'Yes, but you have been gone from the world for a long time. You don't know what the real world is like.'

'Four earth years is enough to be out of touch for you too, you know,' Amelia snapped, although not too angry.

'I know what I'm doing,' Matt insisted. 'Besides if we run into Mom and Dad –'

'Ooh, I completely forgot about them!' His sister interrupted. 'We have to go meet them!' The Anomaly sighed.

'No, we don't.'

'C'mon!' She pleaded. 'I know they didn't raise us well, by my being gone must've prompted them to do better, right?' Matt gave no response. 'Right?'

'They did something alright,' he muttered, but Amelia still heard it. 'After you died…Mom and Dad disowned me.' Amelia's eyes suddenly went dark, like her innocence had just been stamped on.

'W-what?' His sister stammered.

'I didn't tell you because…I didn't think you would be coming back with me,' the Anomaly revealed. 'When you died, our parents kicked me off Darios. They sent me away with a rocket ship to Atrios-6. That was where I met Aurora. The Gemini Corporation lent us a home, Central Capricorn Galactica, where we were given specialised training for certain missions.'

'Th-they…gave you up?' Amelia tried to process. He nodded, but his sister shook her head in disbelief. 'Just like that?'

'Our parents weren't very nice people,' Matt justified. 'So no, I don't want to talk to them again. I would rather talk with the girl I love over the parents that never loved us.'

'Well…you may have Gaige…' Amelia began, tears forming in her eyes. 'But…there's no one left to love me…' Immediately, the Anomaly went to her and held her in a tight hug, letting her cry into his arms.

'Now that's where you're wrong,' he comforted her. 'I love you. You're my sister, so I care for you. I'm not about to leave you.'

Amelia sniffed, acknowledging his uplifting words. He was right. She still had him.

'Thank you, Mattie,' Amelia thanked him wholeheartedly. 'I don't know what I'd do without you. You've always been there for me.'

'And I always will be,' the Anomaly promised, although even he knew that was a steep promise. 'Now, what's say we make our miraculous return?' His sister laughed.

'Sure,' she agreed, as the portal opened in front of them. His sister let go of him and suddenly ran towards it. 'Whoever's last is a rotten egg!' Matt sniggered.

'Oh, it's on now.'

So that's the prologue to the sequel, which will be rather imaginatively called "No One Else." One of the most enjoyable parts of this chapter was writing it mostly from the point of view of the Enlightener. The way he thinks is completely alien, since he is an alien, but even to his fellow Eridians – as he is an amalgamation of multiple consciousness.

Anyway, this is sort of a notice that chapter one will be coming out soon, but it's against the rules to write a non-fiction chapter with no story in, so I figured I'd deliver you a prologue of the story to come.

I would post this in the actual story, but that would mess up the numbering at the top of the page, so I thought it best to put it in the original. That way, anyone not following me but this story specifically knows that the sequel is coming.

I won't be posting it immediately, although it will be soon. I will just edit it a few times and set a schedule for myself for uploads. Though, I have school all the time so I won't always be able to stick to it.

Anyways, I'll see you avid readers soon!