Chapter 29: Goodbye to a God
Niko did not feel the wave when it hit. Neither did Niko feel carried away by the incredible force of the water. In fact, Niko was moving upwards at a dizzying rate. Everything was blurry and Niko seemed surrounded by some sort of lively mist. It was a dark grey and difficult to see through. That said, Niko could barely make out the Abrupt Wastes below.
The ascent seemed to take several minutes, despite the great speed. Eventually though, Niko noticed it slowing down. The odd mist became replaced with still odd but solid black shapes. They were free form, but often had hard edges. With time, they began to form a structure. With time, Niko arrived in an area with a black floor. The mist pushed Niko into the area where there appeared to be a wide and solid path that faded at the edges. At the edges were once again those free form shapes.
The path led up to a circular platform. In the middle of the platform was an emaciated figure. He was entirely black and somewhat resembled the sculptures in Greyvale. Where he was, he was staring at the sky. When Niko arrived, he slowly turned his head and beckoned the Messiah over. Niko approached slowly along the path and stopped just at the edge of the circle.
"Are you Gregory?" Niko asked.
"Yes," the figure replied, his voice reverberating, "And you are Niko."
"Yes. What are you doing?"
"Rising. Something I should have given up a long time ago."
"Rising? For what?" Niko asked. Gregory pointed up.
"Do you see those stars, Niko?" Gregory asked. Niko looked up at the dark sky. Stars twinkled in and out of existence. Some remained steady. They were different colors and sizes.
"Yes. What about them?"
"They are windows, not unlike the Rifts. They send information to other worlds. Some may be others looking down upon us. I have no doubt one is the god you met in the World Machine," Gregory explained.
"How do you know about that?" Niko replied, surprised.
"I've been watching your trip with great interest. I was the one who brought you here and has kept you here."
"Why?"
"I have sought to escape Darkwell. This platform has been rising for so long. The stars have never gotten closer. I have stripped myself of my memories to gain power and control over Darkwell's reality, but it has not been enough. I brought you here to learn things from outside this world."
"But why me?"
"Because I could. Come closer, and I'll show you," Gregory requested.
Niko was cautious, but slowly approached the dark figure. His long, thin arm moved to an area above Niko's head, but it stopped short of being over Niko. A pillar of light began to illuminate and stretch upwards.
"I do not know not the mechanism, but you remain connected to your world and perhaps other worlds. Like one of those stars, your tether appeared before me, but I could reach it. I thought you were my chance to escape. However, instead of me leaving, you arrived. I have learned valuable lessons from your journey."
"What do you mean?"
"You were able to summon the World Machine to Darkwell and even allow those who passed away to speak with them. You are a living being amongst those who are gone. You have done more in less time than I could ever hope to accomplish, and yet only you will leave as you are."
"Sorry, but I still don't quite get it."
"You see my blackened state, Niko?"
"Yes."
"I rid myself of memories, of what little remained to keep my form, so that I could manipulate Darkwell like a god. With every memory lost, I could move more freely and bend this world to my will. With every memory lost, though, I was losing myself. Pieces of me detached and took lives of their own. My anger. My confusion. My hopelessness. I slowly became less and less of the person I was. Perhaps I could reach the stars if I rid myself of memories entirely. At that point, what is the point? I would not be who I was."
"You're saying you would no longer be Gregory then, without your memories, right?"
"Exactly. The other path to leave is the Rifts. However, I have seen what happened to those who enter. Their memories are shed and become a part of Darkwell. Once they enter the Rifts, I am uncertain of their fates. Perhaps they disappear as well."
"But what happens if I enter the Rifts?"
"The behavior of the Rifts differs for you. I saw this when you first tried to leave. For others, they're a doorway. For you, they were a force that was shaping to send you back to the origin of your tether. Still, while your memories, your self, outside Darkwell should remain, you may shed what you have picked up here. You may not remember what happened."
"Again…" Niko said solemnly.
"Again," Gregory repeated.
"So what do you want to do?"
"Niko, you have made me realize that escape from Darkwell as I am is impossible. I have passed away. There is no changing that. I now intend to move on through the Rifts."
"Didn't you say the stars send information to other worlds?" Niko recalled.
"Yes, but my goal was to leave, not to reconnect with the living."
"Why did you want to leave?"
"The answer has been watching us this whole time," Gregory said, looking up.
You don't have to do this, Gregory.
"I don't, but I want to."
All this work and now you just want to throw it away.
"This isn't throwing it away. This was trying and learning. This is accepting what I truly want, my dear friend."
"That friend? You've been trying to escape to get back to them," Niko realized.
"Yes. I am dead and they are alive. They found me. I agreed to try and return. Now, I want to leave. There's no reason to stay."
You don't know that! You were taken too soon. You can't just give up!
"This isn't giving up. This is moving forward. Now, though…" Gregory said, turning to Niko, "I ask for your help."
"Me?"
"I have decided to move on. I need you to help them do the same."
"But… what can I do?" Niko wondered.
"Think about what you've experienced here and even before. What became of what was lost."
Niko, I haven't been the best person to you, but you can't let Gregory leave. Please. Think about what happened here.
"I… don't know what to say," Niko mumbled. Gregory knelt down.
"Relax. You do. I have seen you go through it all once already," Gregory reassured.
"Why me, though?"
"You, through what you've done and seen, convinced me to leave. If you can understand why, so will they. Or, at the least, you are another voice to be heard."
Niko. Think about what happened when Row was returned to her family. Think about what SAMI felt when he saw Dr. Mav. Think about how Dr. Danetear felt when she saw the World Machine. Can't you make Gregory understand those moments?
"But… they were all already gone," Niko realized.
What?
"Row and her family were already gone. Some are still missing."
But she was overjoyed to see them return.
"And yet, before that, Row kept going. She made new friends and started a new life. It was good fortune that she was reunited, but it was not her obsession. Again, those who returned were already gone" Gregory added.
"Dr. Mav couldn't save Sammy, so he made a robot to try and give everyone a part of what Sammy gave him," Niko remembered.
"None of the robots called SAMI are Dr. Mav's son, nor will they ever be," Gregory stated.
"They're something new altogether. Even two SAMI robots are noticeably different when you talk to them."
Dr. Mav tried everything he could to save Sammy. But Dr. Mav did not just forget about Sammy.
"I'm not asking you to forget. I'm asking you to move on," Gregory clarified. "Now, the World Machine."
"The World Machine isn't the world Dr. Danetear was from. It's a machine that acts like it," Niko reflected. "Even Dr. Danetear said it wasn't exactly the same."
"I believe SAMI described it quite simply. Saving something and recreating something are two different things," Gregory echoed.
"The World Machine was a new thing. It had to be tamed. It wrote its own code. The Author couldn't save the world, so he made something new to… stop it being forgotten," Niko remembered.
Just because those people, those worlds couldn't be saved doesn't mean Gregory is lost.
"No. I am not lost. I am dead. It's something you'll need to accept. For your sake and mine. I have realized that I have become your tether. I want to leave, but I also must leave for you to let go," Gregory decided.
You can't!
"I am leaving whether you like it or not. I must. Though, as your friend, I want to make sure I say goodbye," Gregory stated sincerely.
Gregory, what will I do without you?
"I trust you'll know what to do. You found me, you found Darkwell, without me. I haven't always been kind to you, but I am glad you did." A light began to appear on Gregory's face. It formed a smile. "Some don't always get that last moment."
Niko, is there anything you can say?
Niko thought quietly for a moment.
"I don't think there is much more I can say. Gregory doesn't see any reason to stay. I can't see how he could leave without the Rifts. If he wants to leave… then I think he should leave," Niko decided. The voice went silent. Gregory began to move his hands in circles. The platform began to break apart and descend. The shapes began to dissolve. A dark mist seemed to surround them and contained the area.
"Niko."
"Yes?"
"I am sorry for keeping you here. I can at least assure you that you were never in any danger. While I could move you, neither the creatures here nor I would or could ever harm you. I doubt they could even remove the memories that color your form. I thank you for showing me what I needed to see."
"It's ok. I'm glad I could help you."
The mist remained, but the platform finally reached the ground. Behind Gregory stood the Rifts. They swirled and spun with vibrant colors. Gregory turned to face them and began moving in.
Gregory. I'll miss you.
Gregory stopped, and looked up at the sky. A face began to form on his head.
"I will miss you, too."
Gregory turned once more towards Niko.
"I can't offer much, but I arranged something for you once I'm gone. I hope it's at least some compensation for the turmoil I've put you through. I wish you the best, Messiah."
Gregory walked into the Rifts. Different windows began to surround him. A large one opened before him. Besides the colors of blue and green, it was difficult to make out what it was. Gregory began to fade into it before disappearing. Light emanated from the window, but then disappeared. A peaceful silence followed.
He's gone.
"He is. Are you alright?" Niko asked.
I… I hope so. I just need… time to think.
"Well… I'm here if you need me."
Thank you, Niko. I would like to explain some things if you don't mind.
"Of course."
I didn't fully realize why Gregory brought you here. At least, not until now. I thought maybe the one you called god from the World Machine had something to do with it. I didn't want to involve any of you. Partly because I was scared he would… he would… of what would become of Gregory. What he would do.
"That's why you just wanted me to leave? That's why you didn't tell me everything?" Niko asked.
Yes. I want to apologize to both of you. I wish you luck, Niko. As I said, I have some thinking to do.
"Hey."
Yes?
"Thank you for helping me out when you did. I'm sorry things didn't work the way you wanted with Gregory, but if you were friends, it seemed like he still cared about you."
I know.
"I mean it. He was going to leave, but he at least wanted to help you understand why. I'll be honest. I didn't really understand a lot of what he was saying, but I know it means a lot that he wanted to make sure he said goodbye one more time."
Thank you, Niko. I know he did. It's just… nothing. I just need some moments to myself. Again, I'm sorry you got caught up in all this.
"It's ok. Take care of yourself."
Goodbye, Messiah.
The mist began to dissipate. Niko began to notice light shining through. As it cleared, Niko began to see two figures looking in. One had a red light for a face and the other wore a lab coat.
