Rodger:

It took us a month to get to this new planet, on the edge of the New Cosmos. A month when the reports about our deaths made the news in both the Cosmos and the New Cosmos. During that time, the one who blew up Olradus 600 was caught, and reprogrammed. All thanks to the information of the chip, that Ferenc gave to Tony. But of this mysterious Gorgon, there is yet to be a trace.

I peer through the screen, at the landscape outside the crystal. The light of the crystal is showing what we believed the entire Dimension Beta to be, until Tony ended the ruse. Columns of stone, jutting from the rocks. There is soil on most of the planet, but that doesn’t mean much. As, there is no atmosphere on the chunk of rock.

Now, I call it a chunk of rock because it is a dead planet. Otherwise, it is as big as Ursula 590. Wei stirs next to me, and opens his eyes.

“Making an atmosphere is harder than I believed,” my husband tells me.

“We will get to that,” So far, we have been doing our best to create an ozone layer. All of us, both the dungeon cores, and those imprinted on dungeon cores, have been putting as much mana as we can spare towards that task. Well, except Nathaniel. He created a moon for the planet, which exhausted him.

“We will also need to get water to this planet,” I add, and Wei sighs.

“I wonder if we really need to,” Wei says, and I blink. Just where is this coming from? If we don’t create a functioning planet, then, where are we going to live? “If I terraform passively, then the planet will be livable in the next 100 years. Rod, how about we stay in the crystal during that time. It will also have the added benefit of us being able to move at the drop of a hat.”

“What will happen, if we keep on rushing the terraforming?” I ask Wei. Surely, if there is one person who knows about such side effects, it is him.

“It could end up with its core blowing up. Olradus 600 was functioning, albeit without a star. The changes made on it were simple, and didn’t destroy its stability,” Wei peers out through the screen, and seems to consider something. “If some scientist figures out that a distant dead planet is suddenly populated, all our work will be for nothing.”

“We just give up?” I ask him. “Live in exile?”

“What would you suggest? If we rush into things, the Gorgon will find us. I bet she wants to make a statement out of us. To kill us off, and then place the blame on someone else,” Wei’s words irk me to no end. I was not raised to give up.

“She must be caught,” I say, but Wei shakes his head.

“Not by us. We simply do not have the means to bring her to justice. Look at what happened to Alfred. We simply can’t risk the lives of the others,” Wei bringing up Alfred is a low blow.

He can still slither, but almost like he is limping. His career as Chief of the police is a thing of the past. Currently, he is in a support group for people with physical problems. Even though that is something that would put just about anyone down, Alfred keeps being his usual cheerful self.

“For how long are we going to hide?” I ask Wei. He hums.

“Forever seems to be the perfect answer. We are dead, Rod. As far as everyone is concerned, that is. Yet, there is something we can do, to hand Gorgon to the police,” I wonder what that is. I quirk an eyebrow, and let Wei tell me the plan.

“When the person who blew up the planet ran away, there was a chip on their tail. Ferenc has been tracking the chip. There are a couple of locations, to which the Naga goes back to every day,” I grin at that. Yet, there is one thing I don’t understand. How are we going to explain the chip to the police, and keep ourselves hidden? And, isn’t the woman already reprogrammed?

“Tony already provided this information to the police, I hope?” I ask Wei. He nods.

“As long as the Naga doesn’t notice the chip, she will be caught. But the fact that the locations are known is something that will make our job easier,” Wei comes to me, and turns off the screens. “We can be safe in here. No outrage at the fact that a dungeon core places dungeon lines over a planet, no politics.”

“Sounds great. Did you tell the rest?” I ask him. He shakes his head.

“I was thinking of an official announcement. One broadcasted in the entire crystal. You will be by my side, when I give it?” Wei looks uncertain. I lean into him.

“I will be by your side every step of the way, don’t worry. Did you prepare a speech?” Wei shakes his head. “How about we cook something up together? And prepare answers for the most common questions, that are going to fly our way?”

“You think about everything,” I rather like the fond smile on Wei’s face. It makes his dimples stand out. I lean in, and kiss each dimple. Something that makes him giggle. “I guess, you are still a politician at heart?”

“Don’t saddle me with something like that. My days as a politician are behind me. You have Dar’uni for that,” I say, and Wei smirks.

“I was thinking you could be a consultant,” Wei says, in a teasing lilt. “Surely, you don’t want to just do Brain Scramblers all day long until the end of eternity?”

“What is the problem with that?” I ask him. He bites his lower lip.

“I just want for little Daniel to be able to say what his parents do for a living,” he all but whines at me. I sigh. That was indeed a low blow. Yet, I suppose I was asking for it.

“Let us prepare, then. We can also speak with Dar’uni, so he can make his thoughts known on the matter,” I suggest. Wei nods, and produces a sheet of paper and a pen.

“How are we going to name this planet? There is already a New Olradus 600 in the New Cosmos,” Wei asks. I ponder at that, and then grin.

“Phoenix 1,” I say, and Wei smiles.

“You know, Fox 1 sounds good too,” he says with a sly smirk.

“You are the Supreme Overlord, Wei. It will be Phoenix 1. As your chief advisor, I won’t stand for another name,” I scrunch up my nose in mock indignation.

An expression which falls, when Wei kisses my nose. Soon, we are both hunched over the paper, and planning a speech. One, which will have to calm the Dru’dru, and everyone else, who lives in the crystal.