"…add to your strength, virtue.."

10087 CY  (2 days ago)

"The pirates were soon attacked by Trade Alliance forces in the area and we were able to then free ourselves." Rev explained calmly in front of the crew. 

"We were nearly starved, Peter needed medical attention and most people do not like Magog."  Rev's eyes suddenly fell, "Peter…Peter was the first ever who accepted Wayism among the throngs I have had the privilege to show."

"So, you gained a convert," muttered Tyr.  He turned a sarcastic eye to the Magog, "I am so happy for you.  Can we leave now?"

"Peter was also my first, real friend." Rev Bem said a bit defensively.

"But what has that to do with System QS-324?" interrupted the Andromeda's holographic projection.

"Peter soon believed that all races had the potential to unite under a single philosophy.  A peaceful philosophy.  He thought peace could only come to the universe by means of The Way."

Beka put her hands on her hips showing her frustration while Tyr laughed out loud.  "Spare us your religious prattle, Magog.  Your "way" is as weak as …"

"A human?"  Trance offered innocently.

An uncomfortable silence followed until Dylan, who'd been uncharacteristically silent through Rev's tale, spoke, "Rommie, access the classified files and see if you can find out why System QS-324 was quarantined."

"Accessing," the Avatar replied as she took on a rather blank look.  "I am sorry, Captain.  The necessary file requires a Vedran genetic signature to unlock it."

"Vedran genetic signature?" Trance asked, "Where are we going to get a Vedran?"

"uhh.. Tarn Vedra?" offered Harper, as he tampered with the slipstream control chair.

Beka threw him a hard glare.

Harper held up his hands in response, "Hey, don't shoot the messenger." And as her glare continued, he went back to his work.

"Ok.. I'll shut up now.."

"Thank you," Beka nearly growled.  "Rommie, there has to be a way to retrieve the file without the genetic code?"

"NO!" both Andromeda's hologram and Dylan Hunt nearly shouted at the same time.  "To tamper with a Vedran genetic lock could mean the destruction of the ship." Hunt explains.

"Wonderful people, those Vedrans." Tyr said.  "I suppose it's time to leave then.."

"You won't need the Andromeda's files, Captain." Rev said in a soft voice.

"What is out there?" Dylan asked, the Magog's reluctance enhancing his curiosity in spite of himself.

Rev Bem looked at Dylan strangly.  "Who? Captain.  Who is out there?"  Then he sighed, knowing that this crew would settle for nothing less that the complete story.

He glanced out at the nebula's purple, red, and blue hues… his mind going back a few years.

"Peter called them, The Masters of Time." He whispered.

"What do you call them?" Beka suddenly asked, concerned.

Rev's eyes went to hers and answered with certainty, "A temptation."

10076 CY  (11 years ago)

They had been traveling the bluish expanse of the nebula for days.   Rev was as determined to meet new peoples and spread the philosophy of peace but Peter was determined to push forward.

After the 5th day, seeing no edge to the nebula, Rev was about to suggest that they turn around and traverse what was "known".

Before Peter could reluctantly agree, their small craft broke through and their eyes went wide.

Before them, everything was bright…as if the nebula were somehow hiding within its cover of gasses a shining jewel.

The jewel was a planet, the likes of which neither had ever seen.

Surrounding this planet, many, many slivers of slipstream energy seemed to appear and dissipate at random.  Some collided with each other while others simply drifted apart until they too faded out of existence. 

The planet itself seemed to pulse with energy as these slivers drifted into the planet's atmosphere…and yet, under that sparkling atmosphere lay a seemingly dark and lifeless planet.

Until the ship drifted a bit closer…

As the transmission bounced back the visuals to the craft, the planet's surface seemed to change…like a mirage ..under the sparkling clouds that were both light and dark at the same time.

At first, a desolate waste….

….and then a forest appeared, albeit dark…

...and then tall buildings shimmered into view replacing the forest….

…and then black oceans suddenly formed as the buildings either faded or sunk…

....the cycle of images slowly repeating and while the terrain changed …

..the look of the buildings seemed to remain constant every time they appeared, whether it be in snow, in sand, with water, or on what looked like grass of the darkest green.

"Rev?" came Peter's voice from behind.  "What is that?"

The fellow Wayist followed his friend's gesture and a single pulse of light seemed to zig zag out and away from the planet toward them.

"Peter?  Ready to move the ship quick—" Rev's voice started quickly. 

The pulse didn't give them a chance as suddenly it was upon them.

Too fast, thought Rev.

And everything went bright..