Dennis Miyamoto loved the observatory. Located within the terra-restoration dome, it was the one place he could engage in some semblance of astronomy. High up in the atmosphere and above the oppressive blanket of poison, the Maya Roberts telescope was the only man-made object still functioning in orbit. It was a collaborative effort between the science teams of the Great Lakes Network, and several had died just getting to the launch site. Fortunately, the launch itself went smoothly, and Earth now had an early warning system named after the woman who helped make it possible.

Dennis wished he could have a say in where it was pointing, but he could understand why it had to be fixed on that one star. The telescope had the same optics as older space-based models, but it also had one bit of extraterrestrial technology. When the Lemurians began their retreat five years ago, they had left their rear undefended. This allowed the vengeful humans to take potshots at the ships, knocking off bits and pieces of hardware that later proved to be valuable studies. One of these was the Entanglement Receiver, a listening device connected to the Lemurians' home planet orbiting Tau Ceti. It allowed for instantaneous communications across the twelve lightyears, warning of impending doom before the shadows of a thousand warships even arrived. 

The cosmic horizon was always a pretty one, no matter the context. Before the invasion, Dennis had been looking at the night sky with a much less powerful telescope. At most, he could see Saturn and all its rings, a barely resolvable speck against a dark and dull backdrop. Now, with so many dead, the brightness of the Universe was a welcome distraction. He often drifted to sleep while dreaming of the stars, of darting around the solar system in a stolen Lemurian craft. He thought of braving the sulfuric acids on Venus, of diving into the ice of Europa. He felt the fantasies pull him deeper into a trance, his eyelids getting heavier.

He was rudely awakened from his reverie by a piercing blare. He jumped off his chair and scurried over to the dashboard. A message was coming through in electronic code, in a language he had not seen in five years. He instinctively mouthed the sounds, but there were only so many shapes he could make with his lips. He grabbed the dusty tome by the shelf and began flipping through the crumbling pages, searching for the right symbols and patterns. His heart was now racing, whatever tranquility he had before was now flushing through his skin as sweat. When the message ended, he cursed himself for taking the shift that night. There wasn't time to lose, he picked up the red telephone by the door. It wasn't a drill this time.

"Get me Commander Onsager!" he nearly screamed into the mouthpiece.  

***

Commander Erika Onsager may be the leader of the most powerful militia in the current world, and the ruler of the most advanced underground civilization, but she never saw herself as much of a fighter. She was not even in line for Commander. After the great Simon Mathios passed away, his trustworthy sidekick, Second-in-Command Kennedy Hooke, was a natural choice. However, the division captains wanted someone with governing experience, and Onsager, who was the only one among them who had fought in the pits of parliament, was inevitably chosen. It was a small gesture for a militia trying not to look like a fascist government, but it was difficult for them to envision a functioning post-apocalyptic society without ranks and control.

The ringing of the telephone was like a klaxon in the middle of the night. Onsager was one of the few denizens of Terran with a full-surviving family, so her first thought was that it was a prank by her ten-year-old son. When her husband began tapping furiously on her shoulder, she remembered that her son no longer played such pranks, having been thoroughly chewed out two years ago. When she picked up the receiver, she thought it was all a dream, a recurring nightmare that she has had over the past five years since the Lemurian retreat. This time, the voice wasn't that of her long-deceased mother, but a frantic young man unsure of how to address her.

"Commander... Sir... Maam... Onsager Maam... This is Miyamoto from the Roberts Observatory. I've received a message through the telescope. The Lemurians are returning!"

Onsager groaned.

"This had better not be a false alarm, Miyamoto. You know I won't hesitate to throw you out onto the surface."

"No, Maam. The message was transmitted from Tau Ceti itself. A new fleet has embarked from their homeworld, much larger than the one they sent before. Based on their current velocity, they're set to arrive in about fourteen years."

Despite her combat experience, the concept of alien invaders still seemed foreign to Onsager. During the previous invasion, Earth telescopes had only spotted the Lemurian crafts when they were three years away. This gave them enough time to build their defenses and the large underground cities from which to launch their counter-attacks. Now that they knew of reincarnation technology, surely fourteen years is way more than enough time to build something that can wipe the attackers from existence. Perhaps the Lemurians had not expected an Entanglement Receiver to fall into human hands, but there must have been a reason for this kind of confidence. The old fleet was still on its way back home and they're not waiting!

After thanking Dennis for the warning, Erika slammed down the phone and headed straight for her wardrobe. 

"Is something happening, honey?" her husband, Axel, called from the bed. "It's two in the morning!" 

"Could you take care of Marcus' schooling tomorrow?" she asked while donning her uniform. "I think I might be gone for a bit."

"I'm not going to have time for that! You know I have projects over at CRS!" he replied, annoyed.

"Have him watch one of those documentaries on the Lemurian invasion," she said. "He might need that knowledge when he grows up."

***

After the fighting ended, Maya had yearned for more certainty and fixed schedules. She had gotten off a call with Hooke that evening and they had agreed to meet privately in their office together with Andrew. It was supposed to be a meeting to discuss the most tactful way of confronting Riponche about his obvious withholding of information, getting him to reveal more information about the 'God' he had mentioned. It was supposed to be held at ten in the morning, after a good eight hours of sleep and a decent helping of coffee. That was no longer going to happen. Instead, she was ascending the North elevator at two-thirty in the morning, thermos in hand and exhaustion on her face, alone. She figured it was not time to bring Andrew in, given what they might need to do with the man who had tried to offer him hope.

Hooke and Onsager were already waiting for her in the elevator room. As trained soldiers, they looked alive despite the unholy hour, a stark contrast to the scientist who had spent the night struggling to fall asleep. They drove to the nearest conference room, a short three minutes from the elevator, and took their seats at the old office table. The air was stale, the air-conditioning turned off for the night. This only made Maya groggier, and she stumbled into her chair, dropping her thermos as she did so.

"Pull yourself together, Roberts," said Onsager, still calm. "We need you now."

Maya had never interacted with the Commander. The only other time she had been this close to the highest-ranking member of the CMC was when she was receiving honors from Mathios. Not only was she unsure of how to conduct herself, but there was also the weight of everything she had just learned the day before. She looked towards Hooke, who returned it with a knowing nod. She felt some relief; there was no way she could deal with politics at this time of the day. Unfortunately for her, the elephant in the room was the first thing to be addressed.

"Before we discuss a plan of action, I need to know that there is complete trust between the three of us," said Erika, switching glances between Maya and Kennedy.

"I assure you there is... "began Kennedy.

"Don't do that, Hooke," Erika interrupted. "I have eyes, ears, and a brain. I know the CMC as a whole has been keeping secrets from me."

Kennedy could only glance downwards, Maya was still half-asleep.

"I have heard the rumors that I'm an SoR agent, sent to infiltrate the CMC and learn of what we really know about the Lemurians," continued the Commander. "Maybe I shouldn't have let that slide."

Maya suddenly felt a jolt shocking her awake. Hooke had not told her that. She had suspected there might have been some accusations going around but never took those conjectures too seriously. 

"Sorry, Maam. You're correct, but I did not spread these rumors. Some of the Division Captains have suggested your lack of action against the SoR shows sympathy towards them, or weakness," replied Hooke.

"I see. And are these the same Captains that have constantly challenged my ability to lead?"

There was more silence from Hooke.

"Hooke. If we can't have trust, I'm going to have to find another 2IC that can watch my back."

"Yes, Maam. It's Captain Sanchez and Captain Brown, they're the biggest dissidents."

Maya was surprised at how quickly Hooke caved. She had always known them to be stubborn, unmoved by tears and pleas. Yet, the piercing glare and the unrelenting tone of the Commander had weathered them down like a schoolchild. 

"And you believe them, don't you?" Onsager continued her interrogation.

"I... I... I do share some of their concerns, Maam."

Maya wanted to leave the room or at least crawl under her chair. Her frantic fidgeting soon caught the attention of Onsager, who shot the glare towards her.

"You're not off the hook, Roberts," she said, voice slowing rising. "You may not be a soldier, but you're still fighting for us. I know of that mysterious Lemurian craft that landed near Terran back in '82, and I know that it wasn't long before the possession guards showed up. What is it that you're hiding from me?"

Maya turned to look at Hooke, also squirming in their seat. They gave each other a knowing look, an understanding that this woman was not to be trifled with. The beans had to be spilled sooner or later.

"Maam," said Hooke. "I'll explain everything."

***

When Rinpoche was ushered into the meeting room, he noticed some things were different. The plants had been removed and the tropical birds were no longer chirping. In fact, the room looked plain, gray-blue walls on all sides. He sensed that the company he was expecting wasn't going to be cordial, and he found it to be a rather intriguing experience. The usual guard wasn't there. Instead, there were two men, armed with rifles and the fiercest face they could muster. The usher warned him to be still because these men do not take kindly to sudden movements.

The elevator door opened, and Rinpoche recognized only two of the faces. The one he didn't recognize was that of a middle-aged woman. She had her hair tied neatly in a bun behind the teal cap of the CMC. Her blazer was covered with threads of every possible color, and the ground resonated with the treading of her boots. She did not return Rinpoche's smile, in fact, her face had not changed since she left the elevator. There was a determined look in her eyes, one that told him they could be here for a long time.

There were three chairs opposite Rinpoche's side of the table, but Onsager ordered the guards to take two away. Maya and Hooke stood quietly at the back, afraid to make a sound. Hooke tried to keep their posture straight but trembled slightly at the scene unfolding. Maya was wearing a pencil skirt this time, like a young intern studying the machinations of her boss.

"So you are Rinpoche. I am Erika Onsager, Commander of the CMC."   

"Hello. I would stand to shake your hand, but I've got a feeling you won't return the gesture," said Rinpoche, the gentle smile still on his face.

"It seems you've got quite the perception of people," said Erika, taking the remaining seat opposite him. "Is that how you were able to manipulate those two nitwits behind me?"

Hooke remained at attention, while Maya resisted the urge to turn her back to the conversation.

"Oh, not just those two," laughed Rinpoche. "Mathios as well."

A wry smile formed on Onsager's face.

"So I've been told. I've also been told that without you, we couldn't have defeated the Lemurians five years ago. Do you think I should be thanking you?"

"That won't be necessary, I just wanted to put an end to the war, an end to all the senseless killing."

"Oh? But the humans killed a lot of your Lemurian buddies."

"In justifiable self-defense. Besides, no Lemurian souls were ever destroyed. They were just returned to higher-dimensional space, free to reincarnate the natural way."

Onsager kept her eyes on Rinpoche's, hoping to break into his psyche. Rinpoche, however, kept his calm, unflappable stature. 

"Hooke!" Onsager called to her Second-in-Command. "Get over here and ask what I told you to."

Hooke marched to the table and stood at attention beside Onsager. They carefully turned to face Rinpoche, moving only from the neck up.

"Rinpoche, why did you only just tell us about soul-cloning?"

Rinpoche looked at Hooke's stoic face, impressed by their discipline beside the Commander. He then looked back at Onsager who kept her wry smile, almost as if she took pleasure in everything that was happening.

"Well, it looks like if I'm going to keep helping you, I'm going to need your trust," he said, rubbing his fingers. "Fine, but I need you to promise me that you won't be irresponsible with this knowledge."

"We're not going to make promises to you," said Onsager, now slightly annoyed "I will decide what to do with whatever you're telling us."

Rinpoche sighed.

"In that case, I'd rather you lock me up like a criminal," he said.

"That can be arrange... "

"The Lemurians are returning!" Maya shouted from the back.

"Roberts!" Onsager was seething with anger.

"I'm sorry, Maam, but I won't let you put away a pivotal part of our defense. I trust Rinpoche with my life, and if you want to lock him up, you're going to have to lock me up too."

"And me!" Hooke declared, joining in on the mini-mutiny. Onsager felt her anger rising further. Too long had she been pushed around by those who were supposed to obey her, too long had she been insulted by the people who had thrust power upon her. She knew she needed the two of them by her side, but she had to fight the urge to deck both of them in the jaw.

"How far?" Rinpoche said eventually, breaking the tension as much as it could be broken.

"Fourteen years," said Maya. 

"Then it's as I've feared," replied Rinpoche with a deeper sigh than before. "They've enslaved their God."

***

"They what!?" Andrew's voice exploded, his jaw agape like it had been blown apart at its hinges.

"I think I've made myself pretty clear," said Maya, a heavy scowl on her face.

"Are you sure?" 

When Andrew received word that their meeting with Hooke had been canceled, he knew that something very big was going down. He thought he had been prepared for anything, he thought that nothing could surprise him anymore. He was very wrong.

"How else are you going to make me say it? Their God is in chains, their God has a gun to its head... "

"Their God?"

"Yes, apparently every civilization has its own God. They're supposed to oversee natural and metaphysical laws, make sure nothing falls out of line. That's not important now though, the issue here is that the Lemurians are more powerful than ever!"

Andrew instinctively switched on the coffee maker. He was glad Maya decided to barge into his home instead of calling for a meeting at her office.

"How so?" he asked.

"Remember the Alien Mother you killed?"

"How could I forget?"

"Apparently there's a reason why the Lemurians retreated after that battle. That Alien Mother was a projection of their God's power, a conduit if you will. You mentioned that it was able to overpower your possession guard and pry your soul out when it was still alive, right?"

Andrew glanced at the coffee maker, wishing it would hurry up.

"Well, it was the hub for all the Lemurians' reincarnation technology. It was the missing link in our equations, the hand that swings the sword. Now, imagine every single Lemurian soldier with that kind of ability. That's what's coming, and it's bigger than ever."

"So that's what they can do now that they have their God on its knees?" asked Andrew, tapping the coffee maker. His mind was in a blur, unable to register the heat on his fingers. 

"They may be able to do more than that," said Maya. "If you have the laws of nature on your side, there's no telling how many you can break. They may not be showing it now, but imagine the concept of space and time being a mere suggestion."

The first trickle of coffee began falling into his cup. Andrew began to think it no longer mattered.

"Well... then what's the point? Why even bother putting up defenses? We're basically all dead, aren't we? Soul and everything."

"Don't fall into despair just yet, Andrew! I don't think they have access to all its powers at this time. But we do have to hurry. If they get any more powerful, they might just cross the space-time gap in a heartbeat. We may have much less than fourteen years." 

The cup began overflowing. Andrew placed a new one under the fiery stream.

"What is it you want me to do?" asked Andrew, passing the full cup over to his supervisor.

"You haven't done much physics in a while, have you? I'm putting you in charge of the soul-cloning project."

"Really?" Andrew felt a mix of excitement and dread.

"Yes. I'm going to be overseeing our technological defenses, basically upgrading the possession guards and seeing how many more weapons we can pull out of what we have. The Commander was pretty clear that she doesn't want us wasting time on fundamental research, but I have a very strong feeling that is what we need."

Andrew hesitated.

"But you know I'm not going to involve Sino in this, right?"

"Sure, just try to have a soul ready as soon as you can. You can try to attach it to yourself or some other robot, I don't care. I just need to be able to show the Commander that we can make and kill a soul."

The trickle from the coffee maker had slowed to sporadic droplets, Andrew no longer felt the desire to pour acids into his heart. It was already filled with the weight of an impossible responsibility.

"You want me to summon a God, our God?"

"I'm asking you to think of something," said Maya as she took her first sip. 

"And Command has OK'ed this?"

"Screw them, we're gonna be getting lots of war bucks so there'll be enough to funnel into side projects. Besides, Hooke and Rinpoche were smart enough to keep you out of Onsager's radar. That means you can do... well... whatever."

"Ok then, I'm going to need to talk to Rinpoche," said Andrew.

"And ask him what exactly? Word of advice; come up with some definitive questions before even thinking of approaching him. Onsager's greatly limited our access to him so don't expect to see him any time soon."

"Oh... How come?"

Maya shrugged.

"I guess the concept of a Possessed helping us is just too much for most reasonable people."

Andrew turned his attention back to the full cup sitting in the coffee maker. He wondered if the little machine that had served him loyally for the past three years would be enough for what he's about to go through.

***

Next: The Sun Dancer Solution, to be released 12th September, before 12 noon, Singapore time.