Foreword:

I enjoyed writing this chapter, because it's both essential plot and essential character development. It's not all that exciting, but hey, this stuff needs to happen sometime. ^-^ The title might be a bit cheesy, but I sort of like it, and I couldn't think of anything else. #_#

"...and I pray that now at last by God's will the way may be opened for me to come to you."

— Romans 1:10b

« ... »

"Wow..." Kaden muttered in awe, staring out the windows of the space shuttle at the urban metropolis below as it flew by. Architecture here was dense and advanced—the sleek, round-edged style signature to Lombax civilization prevalent everywhere. Odd contraptions resembling solar mobiles and astrolabes poked willy-nilly out of every other domed roof, as if for decoration, but Kaden could tell just by looking at them the purposes they served. The uneven, canyon-laden terrain of the planet's surface equated to great variety in the shapes and sizes of the buildings. Some peaked straight up into the clouds while others were flat and round, and still others spiraled up from the ground in a helix. Power lines and plasma conduits were threaded to and from structures every which way, as though the whole city was meant to function as a machine. Kaden recognized his people's trademark from the place where he grew up, but even so... the glory of this place made the settlement on Lumos look like a shanty town.

"Haven't you ever been to Fastoon before?" asked a Lombax behind Kaden, almost rhetorically. He was seated along an interior wall, flanked on either side by two other Lombaxes. They looked across the aisle at Kaden like they were puzzled as to why he would want to stand with his face pressed to the window when there were perfectly good chairs at his disposal.

Kaden turned to face them and quietly admitted, "No."

The brown Lombax looked surprised, as did the two similarly colored ones beside him. "Oh," he muttered, trying not to sound condescending, but without total success. Kaden reminded himself of their names from when they had introduced themselves a few hours ago. The one in the middle was Hadrian, to his right was Alvar, and to his left, Casey. They had looked surprised when they saw him step aboard the transport—far more so, in fact, than they looked now—and at first Kaden didn't realize why. But once they asked him how old he was, he understood at once. Although they said nothing of the sort, Kaden knew what they were all thinking: "How did a kid like you get in on this?" They were all at least fifteen years his senior, and evidently that much more cultured as well. Perhaps they were insulted that someone so young had qualified for the same honor they had. Perhaps they were intimidated. Whatever the reason, it was apparent to Kaden that they all resented him for being there with them, on that ship bound for Fastoon, when he was barely twenty years old.

Even so, Kaden was determined not to get spooked by their coldness. They were supposed to be a team, after all. As long as they didn't flat-out reject him, he would do his best not be completely alienated from them. At least they were trying to treat him with respect.

Looking back out the window, he saw their destination coming up fast. He recognized the Center for Advanced Lombax Research from pictures, but seeing it with his own eyes completely redefined his understanding of how spectacular it was— at least a dozen of the most impressive, technology-laden buildings in sight, all clustered together and surrounded by a security barrier that looked like it could atomize anything that came near it. Kaden was both excited and nervous as the ship approached the clearance checkpoint. This time, however, he kept his awe and his nerves to himself, and just let the magnitude of the moment sink in while his pulse quickened in anticipation.

« « « « « ж » » » » »

Alister was careful not to let his lips curl into more than a faint smirk as he walked toward the orientation room. He didn't want to seem too eager. The spacious, well-lit corridors of the Center's testing facility were bustling with Lombaxes of every conceivable age and color, clad in protective clothing that varied from space suits to flame-retardant scuba gear. Some of them didn't even notice him as they rushed about their business. Others acknowledged him respectfully. Newer faces seemed surprised to see him there at all, which hardly surprised him. It wasn't common for a soldier to be roaming the halls of the C.A.L.R. Those who had been around for a while, however, understood Alister's presence there. They knew him as the resident overachiever, who wasn't satisfied to simply soar through the ranks of the Lombax Pretorian Guard, but also had his eyes set on the Council for the most prestigious research center on Fastoon. A difficult feat for someone who wasn't actually a scientist, but if anyone could pull it off, it was him. After all, his savvy in practical application of technology was unparalleled.

Today wasn't about him, though. Today was special. Today he was determined to forget about all the depressing reasons why he felt he needed to aim so high in his career, and instead focus on the best thing that had happened to him in three years... or rather—was about to happen.

It was a miracle he'd even been allowed to know about this plan, so he realized he was pressing his luck by asking to be a part of its execution. Still, he couldn't help but try. When he saw the list of engineers who had been selected for the program, one name stood out from all the others, and he was instantly speechless. Thankfully all the favors he was owed by the high-ups at the Center held enough weight to earn him this small but sensitive place in the scheme of things.

When he arrived at the orientation room he peered through the glass and quietly surveyed the inside. Four of the candidates were already present, and the ship bearing the remaining four had landed a few minutes ago, according to the intercom. Momentarily a door on the opposite end of the room opened, and sure enough the awaited party filed inside, where they each took a seat around the oblong table and began to converse among themselves.

There he was... Kaden. He looked exactly the same as he had when last Alister saw him three years ago—same lean build, same bright eyes. He hadn't aged a day. Alister wondered if he had changed at all under the surface—if three years of being married had tempered his liveliness. He couldn't possibly be the same danger-loving daredevil that he was as a kid, could he?

Taking a deep breath, Alister opened the door, and stepped confidently into the orientation room. All eyes turned to him and the present discussion stopped cold. Kaden gasped and almost jumped to his feet, but Alister shot him a sharp glance. Kaden took the hint and instantly closed his mouth and settled back into his chair, but Alister could tell he was having a hard time of reigning in his surprise. His eyes were bursting with unspoken delight, and he bit his lips to keep it from coming out in words.

A few of the other engineers looked at him curiously after this odd almost-outburst, and Alister empathized completely, as it was just as hard for him to restrain himself. He wasn't able to keep a smile from leaking out, so he averted his eyes and let it go out to the collective group as a cordial salutation.

"Greetings, candidates, and for those of you who just arrived, welcome to the Center for Advanced Lombax Research," he said in a polite, neutral tone. "I'm Sergeant Major Azimuth, and I'll be your escort today. You have been recognized as the most promising engineers of our time, and selected to fulfill a vital duty. As you know, twenty-five years ago eight of the greatest engineers in the history of our race designed and built a machine that defeated the Cragmites and ended the Great War. God willing, we will never again have to use that machine. Nonetheless, it is the most important invention in Lombax history, and as such there must always be someone alive who can operate it. This honor has fallen to you. Congratulations. Are there any questions before we proceed?"

Kaden raised his hand.

"Yes?" Alister said, trying not to laugh.

"When do we actually get to see this thing?"

Alister let one corner of his mouth raise into a half-smile and casually stated, "Today."

« ... »

Alister kept his head high and his eyes fixed straight ahead as he silently led the team of engineers deeper into the Center's most sensitive areas, past dozens of Lombaxes that stared jealously at those privileged few. He heard an uneven pattern of steps behind him, and cocked his head to the left to see Kaden fall into step at his side.

"So, um... Major Azimuth—"

"That's 'Sergeant Major,'" Alister corrected. "If I'm lucky, I'll be a Major five years from now."

"R-Right..." Kaden muttered. "Well, I hope it's not too bold to ask, but I was wondering... What's a soldier doing in the Center for Advanced Lombax Research briefing a bunch of engineers?"

Alister smiled and coyly said, "An old friend of mine made me realize that technology and warfare go hand-in-hand."

"Wow. He must be one heck of a guy," Kaden commented.

"That he is. In fact, he invented the Cryomine Glove that Grummelnet released last month."

"No kidding!"
"Not at all. Rumor has it he built the original prototype when he was sixteen years old."

Kaden made a face and distastefully muttered, "Sounds like a nerd."

"Takes one to know one," Alister retorted. Suddenly he cleared his throat and banished the familiarity from his face, reminding himself of where he was and the seven strangers trailing behind him. He could just imagine the bewildered expressions on their faces right now, and resisted the urge to turn around and look. Once again, Kaden took the hint, and quietly fell a few steps behind. Though he maintained his aloof front, Alister was smiling inside.

Momentarily they arrived at an impressive metal door barring the large entrance to an even larger room. It looked as though even an Agorian hydra tank wouldn't be able to put a dent in it, and it was girded by the most advanced security system in the galaxy. Alister turned to face the group and gestured to this impregnable entryway as he proceeded to explain.

"On the other side of this door is a piece of our history, and your future. Naturally, everything that you are about to see and learn is strictly confidential and what happens in this room is not to be carried beyond these walls. Am I clear?"

The team agreed in unison, and Alister nodded his approval and turned back to the door. He punched in his security clearance, then stepped back and watched as the great gate receded slowly into the ceiling. The eight Lombaxes filed solemnly into the room, last among them Kaden, and he turned to look at his friend with a smile as he slowly passed by.

"Good luck," Alister said, addressing the whole group, but with his eyes on one of them in particular.

« « « « « ж » » » » »

Kaden murmured incredulously as the door fell closed before his eyes. Back when he had stepped off the ship and lost his breath at the sight of the Center's spectacular interior, he was already beginning to wonder if being here was a dream. Now, after seeing his life-long best friend for the first time in three years, he felt even more uncertain. He closed his eyes and pinched himself, wincing from the sharp pain, then turned around and looked at the sight before him.

The room he was in was large and domed, with pulsing yellow lights streaking down from the ceiling to the floor in a spiral. Machines and work stations of various unknown function lined the circular walls, but the floor in the middle was free and clear, except for Kaden's group who had just come in, and eight more older Lombaxes besides who must have already been present. Wearing both lab coats and tool belts, they regarded the new arrivals with smiles of professional greeting, and instantly Kaden knew who they were.

"Hello there," one of them said. He reached into his coat and pulled out a remote control of some kind. After he pressed a few buttons, a circular seam appeared in the center of the room, covering a radius about as long as Kaden was tall. Suddenly that section of the floor began to rise, carrying up with it a large, clear cylinder.

"Most alien races, and even most Lombaxes, believe that the weapon we used to defeat the Cragmites was an incendiary device of some kind, and that we literally 'vaporized' every life form on the Cragmite homeworld. The truth, however, is a bit more complicated than that."

As the scientist came to a pause in his speech, the clear cylinder ceased its ascension and the thing it housed came fully into view. It was one of the strangest-looking machines Kaden had ever seen—like a ridiculously oversized mining helmet with about five too many headlamps and what appeared to be (but probably weren't) metal earphones on either side.

"The Dimensionator," said another engineer. "As its name implies, it creates a portal leading from one dimension into another. It is with this ability that we were able to exile—not destroy—the Cragmites."

"Wait a minute," Alvar interjected worriedly. "You mean, the Cragmites are still alive somewhere?"

"Yes," the engineer confirmed with a snide smile. "They are alive—in a dimension where time passes at a rate of one day for each of our years."

Alvar relaxed while his new comrades indulged in a brief chuckle at his expense, and the engineer seamlessly continued his explanation.

"Over the course of the next twenty-four months, you will be undertaking an extensive study of the device's mechanics, science, and general inner-workings. At the end of this period, you will be given a final evaluation, which will determine whether your training has adequately prepared you. Whichever of you scores highest in this evaluation will be given the title of 'Keeper,' and that individual will, if they accept the position, rank as the leader of this team and be ultimately responsible for managing the Dimensionator's operation in the event that it is ever again needed."

He paused for a short moment to let his words sink in, then solemnly added, "I'm warning you—this training will be extensive and difficult. There will be no 'off-time' for you to go on vacation or visit loved ones, so for the next two years, you will essentially be slave to this machine. Are you lot ready for this?"

The rest of the candidates nodded respectfully, but Kaden excitedly blurted out, "You bet!"

The design team chuckled among themselves while Kaden looked curiously around at his team members, who eyed him with stern rebuke.

"All right, then," said another of the veteran engineers. "Let's get started."

« « « « « ж » » » » »

Alister stared out the huge wrap-around window of the observation lounge, taking in the view of the city bathed in hazy twilight. He wondered if it was late enough yet. Surely they had to be finished by now. It was only the first day, after all. Quietly he turned around and made his way to the elevator, which he instructed to take him to D Level, and from there he proceeded toward the section of the building where guest quarters were located.

The day was winding toward its finish, but that didn't mean the Center was any less alive than it was in the morning. Hallways were full of tired workers preparing to head home, as well as fresh faces ready to tackle the graveyard shift. Activity bustled all about Alister, and he was glad for the crowd to lose himself in, but he hoped no one would ask him where he was heading or what he was doing. While he wasn't exactly trying to keep his history with Kaden a secret, as a simple measure of prudence he did plan to keep it on a need-to-know basis.

He walked down the hallways clutching his double-ended battle wrench in his left hand and scanning each passing door for the number he remembered from the room assignment bulletin. When he reached Kaden's room the door was wide open, and a look inside revealed info-pads and paper schematics littered all over the floor. With a smile and a raised eyebrow Alister made his way inside and took the liberty of closing the door—after removing the clutter that obstructed it, of course. He glanced around the corner of the inside wall and immediately saw Kaden sitting at a desk, hunched over a huge blueprint that was pinned down at its corners by a random assortment of tools. His tail swung pendulously back and forth the way it used to whenever he was deep in thought. He was so focused, he hadn't even noticed someone coming in. Alister smiled and shook his head, glad for the reassurance that some things never change.

"Are you trying to make this place feel more like home," he asked sarcastically, "or are you really that poorly organized?"

Kaden's ears perked and he turned around in his chair, laughing as he laid eyes on his friend. "My apologies, Sergeant Major, sir," he replied in matching character. "I didn't realize there was a nightly inspection."

The two friends smiled at each other in contented silence for a long moment. It didn't need to be said aloud that things would never be the same between them—that moments like these when they could talk in private would be seldom, and also that no amount of privacy could bring back the carefree days of their youth. They were both grown now, with lives consumed by the cares and struggles of adulthood. Casual friendship was a thing of the past for them. Now they were colleagues, and as such they were obliged to maintain a couth and professional relationship.

Even so, their roots ran deep, and this also went without saying. They shared a bond that duty could only suppress, and times like these, however rare, would always remind them that it yet remained unbroken.

Finally Kaden asked in a casual, endearing tone, "How're you doing, pal?"

"Oh... as well as can be expected, I guess," Alister sighed. "The thrill of constant combat isn't as glamorous as the holo-films make it out to be..." He pulled up a foot stool and took a seat, setting his weapon down on the floor. Why he'd bothered to bring that thing, he couldn't say... Honestly, he was getting to where he felt naked without it.

"Well, it's not like you joined the military because you had delusions of grandeur," Kaden pointed out, absentmindedly swinging the wrench in his hand like it wasn't there. Alister was worried he might accidentally strike himself in the head with it.

"I know, but still..." Alister trailed off and evasively but honestly said, "I'd rather talk about you, Kaden. How's married life treating you?"

Kaden's relaxed expression tightened instantly, and the wrench in his hand stopped moving. He quietly set the tool down on the desk and looked away, muttering at half the normal volume, "Oh—good."

Alister snorted a laugh and rolled his eyes. "Kaden, come on, you know you're not going to get off with 'oh, good.'"

Kaden leaned over the back of his chair to check that the door was closed, then turned to face his friend, grinning from ear to ear. "Alister, I married an angel," he exclaimed, making a serious effort to keep his voice down. "She's so... so kind, and helpful, and thoughtful... She's perfect. I still can't believe she's actually mine."

Alister was about to congratulate Kaden, when he noticed his face fall a bit, his smile weakening. "But...?" he prodded with unabashed concern.

Kaden looked up at him in surprise. "I didn't say any—"

Alister raised an eyebrow, and Kaden's denial fell apart on his tongue. Alister knew something was wrong, and Kaden knew there was no point trying to hide it. With a sigh the younger Lombax turned his head to stare off into space, and reminisced in a soft, distant voice.

"When I first proposed to Nayeli, I told her it could be temporary, but she said that she didn't want to take advantage of me... I remember around her birthday I kept thinking, now that she knew what it was like being married to me, she might have changed her mind about it being forever." Kaden hesitated there, and Alister blinked in surprise. He had never known this part of the story. "One night she pulled me aside to talk," Kaden continued. "I was so scared of what she might say, I could hardly breathe... Then it turned out she—" (he paused to laugh at himself before continuing) "she wanted to plan our anniversary."

All the downheartedness in Kaden vanished for a brief moment as those words left his mouth. He chuckled with old, still-poignant relief, touching a fist to his forehead and shaking his head at the ground in self-admonition. "By now there's not a doubt in my mind that she intends to stay with me all her life," he assured, looking up at Alister with misty eyes. "But sometimes I wonder if that's really what she wants... What if I'm keeping her from her dreams? What if she's giving up her whole future just because she feels indebted to me?"

Alister said nothing, dumbstruck yet again by Kaden's selflessness, and the sheer strength of his character. Why any girl wouldn't be thrilled to spend her life with him was indeed a mystery worth pondering.

"I don't know," Kaden muttered, looking away with a defeated sigh. "Maybe I'm just over-thinking it... But she's such a homebody, you know? She likes the quiet life, and taking her time, and staying in one place... We're complete opposites, me and her... I just don't see how she can be happy with someone like me."

A few seconds passed in somber silence, and as he stared in wonder at his dearest friend, Alister was reminded of a similar instance from long ago.

"Oh, Kaden..." Alister rebuked in a comforting tone. "You're still not giving yourself enough credit."

Kaden smiled halfheartedly, grateful for the encouragement, but neither confirmed nor denied what Alister had said.

"Oh!" he exclaimed out of nowhere, smacking his fist against his open palm. "Before I forget..."

He stood up and dug around in a box of what-nots near his desk for a few seconds before pulling out a small holo-recorder. "I want to get a picture of us."

"Hmm..." Alister mumbled teasingly. "When did you get so sentimental?"

"Just shut up and smile," Kaden replied. He pushed a button on the recorder so that it began hovering in mid-air, then grabbed his wrench off the desk and rushed to Alister's side. He pulled him to his feet, then crouched down once more and grabbed hold of his battle wrench, which he thrust into his hands, saying, "Here, hold this."

And there they were—Alister, a soldier, holding up his battle wrench, and Kaden, an engineer, holding up his work wrench—both of them smiling. As Alister stood there waiting for the holo-recorder to click, he found himself musing over what a contradiction their relationship was.

I've always been the cautious one, and you've always been the risk-taker... Who would've thought ten years ago that I would end up in the military and you would be the one getting married and settling down? ...And that the two of us would eventually end up back in the same place?

Try as he might, Alister couldn't fathom why things had happened this way. Regardless, he was glad to have Kaden back, if only for a little while, and in such fleeting moments as this one.

Author's Notes:

- Alister's Rank— Here's another note that applies to this as well as future chapters. Let the record show that I think the sheer speed at which Al is breezing through the ranks is somewhat ridiculous. I blame part of it on the timeline of the canon, since Alister obviously wasn't an old man in ACiT, but was already a General twenty years before that. If I had thought it through a bit more thoroughly in the planning stages, I probably could have pushed some of my major developments back a few years to alleviate the suspension of disbelief at least a bit more, but it's far too late to cry over that spilled milk. At this point all I can do is beg for forgiveness and move on.

- The Design Team— If anyone is scratching their head over why I claim the Dimensionator was built only 25 years ago, I refer you to the note in the first chapter about 'The Timeline of the Great War.' I don't claim my interpretation to be absolutely correct—it's just the route I chose to go with this fic.