Rose had before her a bottle of a dark red liquid that she was enjoying because it was doing what it was supposed to do.  First and most importantly, it was numbing the pain of a complicated past that she was forced to face again. Second, it was helping her to focus on what she must do next.  Every couple of minutes she would take a small drink, close her eyes, and concentrate.  She could see in her mind everything that happened on this world.  The laughter and happiness, followed by pain and anguish.  “Will it all begin again?” 

She was seated at one of the many long, massive tables found in an enormous room on the bottom floor of this ginormous structure.  These tables were made of the finest wood found and were polished to make them shine with an incredible brilliance. The design and detail of these tables were done by a master hand, much like everything else in this building. Giant arched ceilings gave the feeling that the top of the room reached the skies. The purpose of this room was quite apparent. It was to seat thousands of species for different events.

The team, who argued often over the purpose and name of each room, settled on a name for this room.  They called it “the great hall” because of the size and apparent use. The nine were seated at the same table, but a few feet away so they could give her “space” and “time to think.”  In between drinks, impatient individuals from the team would yell what they believed to be easy questions about the building.  They were all so eager to finally have answers to so many questions. 

            “What was this large room with all these massive tables used for?” shouted Gelio. Her tone much higher than needing to be.  “I bet it was a place for great feasts for all the important ones.”  Her tongue was flicking rapidly. She pointed a finger at the giant spider.  “Makarios thinks it was used as some type of school.”

            “Not a school,” Makarios cleared his throat, “but a learning center or a… huge University,” he continued with a nervous tone. All eight eyes looked down feeling his answer was inadequate.

            “What is the difference?” shot back Gelio.  “They are the same thing.”

            Rose opened her eyes and gave them “the hand” to make them stop talking. 

            Of course, this did not work on Gelio.  “Just answer that one question and I will stop talking.” The serpent’s eyes pleading for a response.

            Rose shot back a disturbed face.  She then gave a large sigh. She answered in a tone showing her displeasure, “This large hall was a place for all to eat large meals and gather.  We called this room ‘Ambrosia for the Gods’.”

            “I told you!” shouted Gelio which brought smiles to everyone except Makarios and Rose.  “A school!  What a horrible guess!”  She then looked back at Rose, with excitement in her eyes. She rattled off question after question in mere seconds.  “What did they eat?  Were there a lot of different species?  Did they play music?  Did you have robots as your servants?”

            “Please!” shouted Rose surprising everyone.  “I have to think.”  Gelio gave her an apologetic stare and bowed her head.  After a few moments someone else spoke.

            “Can I ask you one more question?” came the timid voice of the Arachne. 

Rose first gave him a look that made all eight eyes look away and smiles from the rest of the group.  She then gave a small sigh. “Go ahead.”  

“What is that you are drinking?”  asked Makarios with the same timid voice. One of his eyes on Rose while the others on Dunamis.  “One of us drank a bottle.  Luckily there were no aftereffects.”

“You are welcome to have whatever you like that is found in those food prep areas,” insisted Rose pointing at smaller rooms located just off the large room.  “I do not think there is anything that will harm you.”  She picked up the bottle and took another drink. “This is a mixture of fruit juices and honey that are grown and made on this planet.  It is wonderful.  The whole drink goes through a very particular fermentation process that makes it an elixir for happiness for any sadness that you may have.”

“So, it is a wine,” remarked Dyamion. His eyes hoping for an affirmative answer.

She shrugged.  “Some may say that, but everyone who has drunk it loves it.”  She smiled and took another drink.  The others could see how pain seemed to melt from her face.  “I never found anything like it on any other planet.  One of the things I miss most.”

“That is really good!”  shouted Gelio as she took another drink.  She and Dunamis had gone to the food prep area and grabbed some items after Rose invited everyone.  They were now walking back to the table. Dunamis was walking with her, drinking one himself.

“I told you it was wonderful,” Dunamis said to Gelio.  “They also have these round breaded holes that have a type of custard in the middle.”  He took another bite.  A large glob of custard hung from the side of his mouth.

“That looks like a type of pastry item,” said Atromitos.  “I have had doughnuts before,” she said with a smirk.

“Not like this!”  yelled Dunamis.  “Try it!”  He stuck it in her face.  She sighed and hesitantly took a small bite. Her eyes lit up and everyone around her smiled because you could tell that she liked it.

“That me try the drink,” she demanded to Dunamis.  He gave her the bottle and she took a small drink.  She smacked her lips and nodded her head.  An even bigger smile now appeared on her Mati face. She then took another drink, bigger this time. 

“Hey!”  yelled Dunamis.  “That one is mine!”  He swiped it from her and pointed at the food prepping area from where he had just come.  “There is more in there.”

“Then go get me one,” she said grinning at him.

“Here,” Dunamis said placing the bottle by her on the table.  “I will get me another one.”

“I would not mine one,” Igetis said with his chin held up looking at Dunamis.  Everyone else began asking for one as well.  Rose could only smile and shake her head.

“I will bring back an arm full then,” Dunamis said walking to the food prep area.  Gelio beside him to help.

“Bring some of those round breaded holes as well,” Atromitos said still with her grin.  Dunamis gave her a thumbs up and slightly shook his head as to question why he was the server.

Igetis looked at Rose.  “What…”  She held up her hand.

“I know what you are going to say,” she expressed in a stern tone.  “The answer is the same that I told you.  I am not sure what to do next.  I need time to think.”

“I was going to offer our help,” Igetis said in an upbeat tone, hoping this would brighten her spirits.  “We, of course, had a part in this event, and we want to help.”

“I know you do,” Rose stated with a slightly aggravated tone, “But I do not know how you can.”

Dunamis returned with many bottles and a platter of “round breaded holes.”  Everyone began grabbing, drinking, and eating. 

“So, how long do we wait?”  Tharros asked with a bottle in one hand and large doughnut in the other.  She took a bite and then a large drink. Her eyes showed that they were a welcome indulgence. “Do we know what this creature will do next?” A glob of custard hung from her beak.

“I do not know for both questions,” Rose answered in the same aggravated tone.  “We did not plan for this?”

“We?” Igetis commented with a bottle in one hand.

“Yes, we,” she stated with a sarcastic grin.  “And no, I am not ready to tell you who ‘we’ is.”

Igetis returned her smile.  “Well, we are here to help.”  Rose nodded her head and gave out a small sigh.  Igetis could tell that her mind was working rapidly on the next steps. 

Dyamion looked at Rose and asked, “At least can you tell us that we are safe here?  Nothing that has been done will cause anything bad to happen.  No invasions or evil curses or creatures coming back from the dead.”  He gave her a small smile to show he was being sarcastic but was hoping for a serious answer.

“For right now, we are fine.  But to be quite honest, I do not know how long it will last.”

Dyamion looked at Igetis and he gave him a nod.  “She just needs time to think.”

“Well, at least there is wine!”  Dyamion said with a smile and took a long drink.

Everyone continued to eat, drink, talk, and laugh except Rose because only she knew the disaster that had been done.  Igetis could sense her fear, but he felt it best to only press her when the time was right.  For now, he celebrated with the team.  They had been through quite a bit, and they had learned to enjoy the good times.

Rose smiled as she watched these unique individuals tell stories of happier times.  They were all so different, but they were the same in what they wanted, their life as it once was.  She was amazed how they treated each other with respect and acknowledged the difficulties they each had suffered.  The struggles in their past had brought them together.  Now they relied on each other, but they also learned from one another.  They learned from each other’s strengths, but more importantly their weaknesses.  By acknowledging what were their weaknesses, together they turned those weaknesses into strengths. 

She remembered that it used to be like this on this planet.  Life was wonderful.  The future looked so bright.  Everyone helped each other.  Their backgrounds were different, but that did not matter.  They had their troubles, but everyone learned about each other, and things changed for the better.  It was exactly like everyone thought it was, a perfect world.  Then it started to change because he changed.

 

 

After a good hour of the group joyfully talking, laughing, and even Makarios showing his dance moves with his eight legs, Rose stood and excused herself from the party.  Igetis asked if he could accompany her.  She accepted and they walked out together while the others continued to enjoy the fun and of course the food and drink. 

When Rose reached the entrance to the large dining hall, she turned around and looked back on the team.  Igetis stood at her side and tried to sense what she was feeling.  He could sense “a wanting to belong” and “better times.”

“That is a fun group you have there,” she quietly stated.  “Seems they have been through a lot together.”

Igetis smiled. “It has been a while since we feel there is hope again.”

“Hope?” she questioned as she looked at Igetis.

He looked at her and could understand her confusion.  “You,” he paused to let it sink in. “You are their hope.”

“I just met them today.” She pointed a finger at him. “I met you only a little before that.  How can I be any hope to them?”

“They sense what I sense.  Your want to help and change the future for the better.” He opened his arms wide and looked around the large building.  “Look at this place.  Can’t you feel the excitement?  This place has everything we need to bring hope to the entire Universe.” He pointed one of his long fingers at her. “And you are the key.  You are our hope.”

“It is not that easy, Igetis.”

“Of course, it is not.  I know you have many things that you are not wanting to tell us.  But we know that you are our friend.  We will help you any way we can.”

“How can you trust me when you know so little about me?”

“I have my ways,” Igetis said as he gave his famous smile.  “Now, this discussion is not why you wanted to leave, correct?”  His large eyes focused on hers. 

“You have to stop with that trick of yours,” she said as she continued to leave the dining room area with Igetis by her side.  “But you are correct.  I have decided to send out a message to someone that can help.”  They continued to walk towards the famous marble staircase that led to the second floor.

“I know you will not tell me to whom,” Igetis remarked, “But we will trust your instincts.”

“Thank you,” she said as they reached the second floor.  “I am hoping that this is the best decision.”  They walked through the glass door and continued to head towards the gold-plated doors.

“I take it that we are going to the War-Room again?”

She smiled at his comment and said, “It is the best way to send the message.  That’s hope he is listening.”

“He?” he questioned.  “A family member I take it.  Someone who also lived here and helped with your plan.”

They arrived at the gold-plated doors, and she pointed at him and gave him a harsh look.  “Look!  If you want me to trust you, then you need to stop getting into my head and finding out what I am thinking.”

“Sorry.  Sometimes I cannot help it.”

She sighed and then opened the gold-plated doors and again they were heading up the mountain.  She gave out a heavy sigh and said, “Of course you are correct.  He is somebody that lived here before and yes we are related.”

“And it was his plan in the first place.”

She held up her hand. “Stop,” she calmly stated.

“Last time, I promise.”

The gold-plated doors opened, and she stepped down the stairs and walked to a console at the head of the massive table.  Igetis was right behind her.  She began quickly touching symbols and the screens began to change.

“You have to teach us your language if we are to help you,” he joked as he watched her press symbols on the console.

“Our language is not too difficult to understand.  You will find that many languages derived from it.”  She could see his face in her peripheral vision that he was pondering the answer, trying not to sense what she was thinking. “That is another one of those questions to add to the list when the time is right.”  More symbols appeared on the console, and she clicked one and another symbol began flashing.  “That will get his attention.”

“If he is listening?” he asked going back to what she said before.

She looked at him and her face was calm, but she seemed hesitant on saying anything else.  She sighed and said, “If he is still alive then he is listening.  It has been a long time since I have seen or spoken to him.”

“There was no backup plan because of what happened here.”

“We never thought it would ever happen.”  She turned her head to the console and tapped another symbol.  “I am still trying to tell myself that this is real.  That I am not dreaming.”

“Again, I am sorry that we have caused you so much pain.”

She looked at Igetis and gave him a sly smile of her own.  “You were looking for help and found more evil.  You did not know what you were doing.”

“Well, we did find you and that is certainly to our advantage.”

She gave a small sigh and looked to be blushing.  “Well, now we wait.”

“How long?”

“If he hasn’t replied within two days, he is dead.”