Part 1 - Fires of Revolution
Chapter 25 - Ardveer
The GQS Premis burst out of warp above Ardveer, the Quintari home world, a day later. Miles and Gwen transferred to the surface and were met by a guide. The guide's name was Q'omi.
"I haven't been told much about what's going on with the pair of you, only that you have an Ethereal Plate and I'm to take you to wherever you ask." She said.
"We're looking for someone who might be able to remove Gwen's implant." Replied Miles.
The implant had been giving off bursts of pain more frequently, as if it detected its own demise. Q'omi eyed the device above Gwen's eyebrow.
"It looks like it should only be a couple of screws. A hospital should suffice. There's one just down the road."
"It isn't just a couple of screws. It's tied into her brain. Nobody back on Earth or Terra or whatever it's called could do it."
Q'omi raised one of her limbs and stroked her cheek thoughtfully.
"The best medical experts on Ardveer are those in the High Aether's palace. I'm not sure they'll be there since the..."
"He's off world, we know. We spoke to him."
"I'll take you to the palace. We've received instructions saying you are to stay there for the duration of your visit, so we can look into the implant thing."
Ardveer was a strange place to the spiders. Its sky was permanently orange, except at night when it turned black just like on Earth. A strange smell was present in the air, like a swarm of insects you wanted to get away from but couldn't. The city was laid out in a circle with roads of various sizes surrounding a central plaza on which the government buildings were situated. The High Aether's palace was the largest. Q'omi took them to a side entrance. A Quintari in heavy armour watched them, and stepped in the way when they made to enter.
"Please provide a pass."
Q'omi raised a pass. The guard read it and turned to Gwen.
"You have an Ethereal Plate? Prove it."
Gwen took a deep breath and double tapped the hourglass, turning the Infinity Stones into the Plate. The guard stepped out of the way. Gwen broke it down again and put her hand to her implant; it hurt most when she used the Plate. Miles looked at her with concern as Q'omi guided them through grand, gold trimmed corridors and to a bedroom.
"This will be your accommodation. If it isn't satisfactory, then I'm afraid you've come to the wrong planet. This is the best there is." She announced.
"Thank you, Q'omi."
"I'll go and find out about the thing with the implant. Is there anything else I can do?"
"We'll just rest for now. Let us know as soon as you get an answer about the implant."
"Of course."
Q'omi closed the door, leaving the pair alone. Gwen let out a quiet groan and collapsed onto the bed. She sank into it further than expected.
"This is comfy." She whispered.
Miles lay down next to her.
"This is gonna get sorted. I promise. If they can't remove it they'll find a way to deal with its effects." He reassured her, placing his hand on the piece of metal.
"Just shut up. This hurts like a migraine."
An hour later, there was a quiet knock on the door. Miles opened it: Q'omi had a happy look on her face.
"The medical team are all here, surprisingly. Somehow I have a feeling..."
"Get to point. Will they help?"
"They said they'll take a look and do anything they can."
"Thank you."
Miles turned to Gwen; she stood up slowly. Q'omi led them through more corridors until they came to a much more modern looking part of the palace. A group of six Quintari were waiting for them. One, presumably the head medic, stepped forward.
"I can tell you're in a lot of pain, even if you try to hide it, Miss Stacy. Lie down here. We'll run some scans and tests then get straight to helping you."
Gwen nodded and lay down on the hospital bed the head medic indicated. The team of Quintari sprung into action. The chief medic examined the Infinity Stones.
"I know you probably don't want to remove them. They are your burden, and yours alone. But the temporal energy is probably not helping anything. Can I remove them? I'll put them in the six dishes on that counter."
Gwen turned her head to look at the six petri dishes on the counter top and nodded. She took the Soul Stone out herself and handed it to the chief medic who placed it in the first dish, before removing the other five and putting them in their own.
Five minutes later, Miles and Q'omi were sitting in the corridor outside the medical room. The door opened. Miles looked up expectantly.
"We can remove the implant. It will take a few hours, and the recovery time will be quite lengthy, but it can be done. She has agreed to it and asked for you to be informed."
"Thank you."
The door closed again. Q'omi gave Miles an optimistic smile.
"Good news already."
Miles agreed. He began to think of something to do in the meantime. It was little use sitting here. His mind travelled back to when the High Aether had touched the Plate with no issue. How could he have done that?
"Since the operation will take a while, is there somewhere I can go to research the Ethereal Plates?"
"Of course. The Ethereal Temple, just across the plaza. I'll show you. It has a full exhibition, and the people there are devoted to the Plates."
Twenty minutes later, Miles was sitting alone with a Quintari dressed in robes. The robes were emblazoned with the ring with ten marks that was visible in the Quintari symbol. The Quintari's name was Zalar and he was a priest at the Temple. Zalar leaned forward in his chair.
"Mr Morales, I am led to believe that you and your partner brought the Plate of Infinity to Ardveer."
"Word travels quickly.."
"Only because I am within the inner circle in these matters. You have questions for me?"
"Yeah, I want to know what the tie is between the Quintari and the Plates. I know the Quintari are from the world between worlds, but why should that mean they have anything to do with the Plates?"
"Mr Morales, do you know how old the oldest dimension is?"
"Conall claimed to be ninety-five billion years old, although he isn't. But I assume he was right about that."
"Correct. And Mr Morales, do you know how old the Quintari are?"
"People say a hundred billion years but I assume they're just rounding up from ninety-five."
"Correct and incorrect. We are ninety-six billion years old. We predate the oldest dimension."
"Which means you're older than the Plates."
"Correct. I am sure you are aware the Plates are conscious?"
"I know they decide who is worthy of wielding them."
"Correct. The plates were formed after the Quintari, so naturally their elders can wield them."
Miles processed the information, thinking carefully about what to ask next.
"So...how did the plates come into being?"
"That is a very long story; I will summarise as much as I can. The Quintari realised that the world between worlds was not enough for them. We may have created vast cities there, but they were never enough. We wanted to see variety, have more to explore. We created ten dimensional streams, each of which would bear fruit very different to the others. Each stream was kept alive by a Quintari who devoted their life to give our race a future. But those Quintari were still mortal like the rest of us. And with the strain of holding a stream open, their lives were shorter than most. As their hearts and minds faded, their souls were captured in ten precious plates: the Ethereal Plates. The Plates are alive with the souls of those Quintari, providing the connective consciousness which allows them to deem individuals worthy."
Miles was taken aback by what he had just heard. The plates were made by the Quintari? Did that make them...gods? Another question came to his mind.
"How come some of the Plates can be broken into fragments?"
"They were shattered by the actions of those who sought their true power and failed."
"Which is the most powerful Plate?"
"All and none. Each provides strength in a different way. However, I believe you mean in terms of combat, in which case the Plate of Power."
"Is there a way to rival the Plate of Power using the Plate of Infinity?"
"Your partner was chosen by the plates. She is strong in many ways Conall is not, and Conall is strong in many she is not. When used to their full restrained power, neither can defeat the other."
"Did you say 'restrained' power?"
"Correct."
"Why is it restrained?"
"The power comes from the soul inside. By releasing the soul inside, the absolute power of the Plate is unleashed. The Plates are merely a way for it to be confined for safety."
"For safety? Clearly they aren't very safe."
"Their absolute power will kill any person who should come into contact."
Miles stroked the stubble that was growing on his chin. Could Conall be defeated like this? No, Gwen would be killed. He couldn't let that happen.
"Mr Morales, I know what you are thinking. I advise you not to tell your partner of the Plate's absolute power. It will be nothing more than temptation for her. She must stay alive to see this through. Even if Conall is defeated, it will not end there."
Zalar closed his eyes and continued.
"If she does not see this through, I see a terrible darkness. My foresight is not as powerful as that of the High Aether's, but it shows me light and dark."
Miles frowned.
"I don't understand."
"You love her, and she loves you. A bond of such power is rare these days. Do not tell her, or she will become another Conall."
"I still don't get it."
"You are not supposed to. Only time will tell you. Do you have anymore questions for me?"
"No."
"Then I must take my leave. There are many matters for me to attend to."
"Of course, I'm sorry."
"Do not be. Fate brought me here to tell you these things."
Zalar left. Miles did the same, retracing his steps back to Q'omi, who frowned at his troubled look.
"Everything OK?"
"I think so."
A few hours later, Miles was lying on the bed in his room. He was fast asleep, dreaming about happier days when the war didn't loom over everything. The knock on his door failed to wake him, so the chief medic entered and gently shook him awake. He groaned and rolled over to look at the medic.
"The operation is complete."
"Operation?"
"Miss Stacy."
"Oh right, of course."
"She wanted me to let you know she's doing OK. Now she's resting. You can see her if you want, but don't wake her."
"Right."
The area where the implant had been on Gwen's face was covered with bandages. She didn't look like she was in any pain, although Miles wondered if that was down to the skill of the medics, or the work of an entire sheet of painkillers. The implant itself lay on a tray next to her bed, presumably having been cleaned up since he doubted it came out with no blood. He examined it closely. There was the part that had been visible, then there were a pair of coils, or wires of some sort that presumably connected to the brain. There was also a small metal plate with a few holes in, most likely for the screws that held it. Miles took a step back as one of the coils twitched. The chief medic chuckled quietly.
"It's Borg. Everything Borg is alive in some way or another. It's harmless now."
He relaxed a little and turned back to Gwen, glad she would be OK.
Crossovers in this Chapter
- Star Trek