✴

“How can we trust you? Your agents tried to kill us!” you& say.

“We would never seek to harm the One!” Ganymeda says. “The Messenger, on the other hand...I apologize. My apprentice is a passionate girl, but she is loyal. If I tell her not to harm you, she will not try again. I cannot speak for all Chosen of ÆON in your academy, especially those who serve our adversaries. But given that fact, more allies would be to your benefit, yes?”

“This is all exactly what an æthercult would say to trick us into helping them!” you& say.

“You have me there, Messenger. What assurances would put your mind at ease? We can sign a contract in the name of your oppressor corpo if you wish, surely all of their technopaths can protect you from one little girl,” she says.

“And how would we benefit from this, as opposed to stopping all of your plans at once?” you& say.

“A contract has two sides, of course. You could continue a hopeless struggle against enemies from all directions, and we can see how well you fare outside the protection of your academy next month, or you could wisely choose to divide your enemies against each other. Fewer enemies, more allies,” she says.

“The way I see it, a three way fight benefits us just as much whether we pick a side or not. Once we defeat your adversaries, your faction will come at us with your full strength.”

“Perhaps, perhaps not... But I can offer you more than allies. There is always the one thing no technopath can resist--knowledge. Consider the strength of my apprentice in your academy, even for a second year candidate. We can teach you technopathy beyond your imagination. You already show promise at weaving the æthereal currents of space and time. Think what an advantage you could gain from one on one training from a master technopath who worries even your Admins?” Ganymeda says.

Starlight breaks though the cloudy glass above, and you see the near and distant image of Astræa.

“Ah, there you are,” Ganymeda says.

“Not nice of you to leave me behind, sister,” they say.

“Our god was running astray,” Ganymeda says. “Come here, let’s not be separated again.”

Astræa takes her hand, and a nebula envelops them both, condensing down into a cloud of stars--a tall, humanoid avatar, made of metal gears unbound by glass skin, floating in the æther, turned by gravitational waves from star clusters in between. They synchronized so effortlessly.

“Now you need not feel so outnumbered,” they& say, in a voice of intertwined time and space. “Shall we reach an agreement, then? Reject this offer of peace, and you will not have another.”

“I can’t answer that in good faith while you hold us prisoner in your domain!” As you& say these words, you feel a path behind you open up--the ætherlock program releases you.

sync rate: 99%

Whatever you say, you are sure it is the unified will of both of you.

“See, we make this offer in good faith. We only needed you to hear us out. What is your answer?”