This is a fan translation of Emperors of Illusions (Императоры иллюзий) by the Russian science fiction and fantasy author Sergei Lukyanenko. The novel is a sequel to Lukyanenko's Line of Dreams (Линия грёз) novel and can be considered a fan fiction of the original Master of Orion game.

Chapter 6

"I'm prepared to accept the idea that our world is the embodiment of someone else's will," Lyka said.

"You've always been a believer," Kay noted. "I was amazed by that trait in Super Logicians—"

Lyka shook her head, forcing him to fall silent.

"Hold on. Let me finish. I believe in the truthfulness of your story. You tried to tell me the truth. But you don't know it yourself."

"Why not?"

"A higher power, Kay… let me use this term instead of the word 'God'. A higher power can't be localized on a single planet, be it Grail or Terra. A higher power, even an inert one, can't become a tool of one man, either Curtis or Gray."

"Grail contains the door to another—"

"Nonsense. Curtis's words. He might believe them himself, but it's utter nonsense. Either there is a Precursor technological center on Grail, whose capabilities seem divine to us, or…"

"Or? I don't believe in Precursors."

Lyka hesitated.

"Or a point of contact, it doesn't matter. Something happened, I don't know what exactly, which resulted in a contact between Curtis and the higher power. This took place on Grail; since then, for Curtis, that place and that event have become one. He could contact the higher power from any place in the universe… but he's stuck in the trap of his own beliefs."

"Does that change anything?"

"Not for us."

"So what would you suggest?"

Seiker laughed, "Kay, are you once again certain of my support?"

Dutch spread his hands wordlessly.

"Let's go…" Lyka rose and glanced at Tommy thoughtfully, who was still sipping on his second glass of wine. "Wait here, young man."

The cyborg looked at Lyka, somehow managing to express a question on his emotionless face.

"Stay with Tommy, Andrey. I need to have a very serious conversation."

Kay had no idea where Lyka was taking him. On a warship, they would have come out to the main combat section, but this ship's plasma torpedoes had likely been removed. Walking through the dimly lit hallways—it was clearly nighttime on the ship—they came out to an elevator shaft. Seiker let Kay go first, then she entered the tiny car and commanded, "Up."

"Is there someone to shoot at?" Kay asked.

"There's something to look at," Lyka waited for the elevator to stop and nodded. "Go."

They came out into the stars.

Darkness, blinding lace of constellations, slowly rotating around them. Pale twisters of nebulae. A tiny edge of the planet, cut by the floor line. They were in a small dome, located where torpedo turrets had once been.

"Impressive," Kay admitted. "An excellent screen."

"It's glass, Dutch. It's shielded, but still just glass. The destroyer is now a pleasure yacht."

"A nice ship."

"Want one?"

"I do."

Lyka laughed, "Keep dreaming…"

She took several steps and sat down right on the floor. Kay lowered himself next to her. Seiker's glittering dress seemed perfectly natural here, as just another nebula in the lightshow of space.

"Look at the stars, Kay…"

He raised his head obediently. Darkness. Sparks. The magical light.

"Recognize anything?"

"Yeah. Sol, Endoria… Raan, I think…"

"Go on."

"The Magellanic Clouds. The Crab—"

"Kay, millions of years of travel on our best ships. In any direction. Billions of worlds, billions of races. Do you still believe?"

"I do."

"All this was created, not even by God. By a man. Do you believe?"

"I do."

"Why?"

"Because," Kay swallowed, "this world is ours. It's the way we want it to be. It's as cruel as we are. It's no kinder than us."

"I believe you, Dutch."

He turned to Lyka.

"Dutch, no theologian has ever been able to answer the big question… why is God cruel? If the universe was created by a higher power, which is good and creative by definition… then why is there so much evil in it? What you told me answers this question."

"God isn't cruel, God is passive."

"Yes. A tired God, a man from another world, dreaming of such a universe. Don't ask me who he is. I don't know. He could be a common Terran man… or he could have already died."

Dutch shook his head.

"No, Lyka. I don't believe that. He's alive."

"You need an enemy."

"Yes! I need the one responsible for everything."

"We have no idea what his world was like, Kay. Compared to it, our universe may seem like a paradise. By passing through the Line of Dreams, we may take a step towards perfection."

"Do you believe that, Lyka? You rule over the bottom… the bottom of our world. Drugs, prostitution, contract killings, espionage, and blackmail. Do you believe that people are capable of dreaming of paradise?"

"No… they don't believe in perfection."

"You will let me go," Kay said. It was a statement, not a question. "But give me advice. Help me."

"Grail, Kay."

"Why?"

"Tommy is your key to God. You can walk Curtis's path. A higher power can't be selectively generous… it's not a cred card."

"You think every new prophet overrides the will of the previous one?"

"No. But a higher power is capable of finding a compromise. It's your last chance. End your hunt for Gray, his death isn't likely to change Curtis's plans. Don't even think about looking for the one who created our world, it's hopeless. Become a power yourself. Become the third power."

"If I come back, I'll tell you about God," Kay said.

"Don't. You'd just be telling me about yourself. Our minds are incapable of grasping a higher power. Each of us merely sees a part of it, our own part. Curtis could only make out a machine, metal and plastic, a horizon covered in iron. He didn't realize he'd only seen himself."

"If that's the case…" Kay tried to chuckle, "if that's the case, then it won't be easy for me."

"You'll be scared, Dutch."