ENOCH

"How are things with Mother?" I ask.

He glances back up at me, speaking as he returns to the staircase, "I am following your advice. Time is short. We must make the most of it."

"Have you seen something in the sky?"

"Your question undermines your true concerns," he mumbles while pausing on the next step up. "I am always seeing things in the sky. It is not the things in the sky I am searching for. In fact, I am not searching at all. I am waiting."

"How long then?"

"A hundred years, a thousand, maybe tomorrow. Who am I to know?" he laughs. "Do not act so afraid for what is bound to come. The Eyu are out there, waiting for us either to evacuate or make them leave. Either the death of our star or the invasion will result in death for all of us. Whatever comes first. There is no reason anyone, but I, needs to know when our star will die."

He sounds actually at ease for once, but it's unsettling coming from someone like him. He's spent his whole life studying the sky as our star is reaching its end.

The only thing is, we don't know what that end will mean for us when it comes.

Long ago, our star already entered its first phase of fusion. It was releasing energy and a wondrous glow above the sludged atmosphere outside our domed city.

Right now, we are just on the main sequence. Father's telescope can see beyond our dark atmosphere, to where our star burns a blinding light, keeping us somewhat heated way down below on the crust of its compacted core. Thousands of miles below the atmosphere. It truly is unfortunate that such a light exists that we cannot see.

It is true our star has been dying for some time since its birth in the nebula. Thanks to our ancestors, we have been sheltered in our city and the few other kingdoms across our star have similar fortune as well.

Outside the dark shell of our atmosphere though, the last of the hydrogen fueling our star will eventually run out.

Our own star will heat up significantly. Although we have genetically adapted to live in the heat we do now, no one will be able to survive the final stage our star is fated to reach. The rest I rather not think about right now.

The mongrels down in the city know all of this of course, but what they do not know is my father has been watching the sky for some time now and has the capability to predict when we will meet our end.

"The people deserve to know soon," I argue.

"What they don't know won't hurt them."

"What is wrong with you?" I retort. "The city looks up to you and as a thank you...you'll gladly let them burst into stardust without so much as a short notice! What happens then? You're just going let Ashta die. You bastard."

"Do not argue with me over the things you do not understand," he mutters, "Your main concern should be finishing construction."

I push his shoulder roughly so he'll actually look at me.

"You really are a murderer. The least you could do is tell them when since you do not plan to do anything to save us. It's soon, isn't it? I do not know why else Zard would choose now to invade. He wants to reap what he can and fly back home to the safety of his planet before our star blows up!"

"The duty to save the mongrels was never mine. I am just a man, Enoch," he chides.

"Enoch! What is the meaning of this? Why are you yelling at your father?"

Mother is now here too.

"He's no father of mine, Mother. Like he said himself, he's just a man."

Silently, we all leave the observatory. It appears Adler is letting her take control of this conversation. We exit his chamber and walk out into the mass of his temple.

Urdmin waits at the fire pit in front of Father's throne.

Adler strides over to it as if the conversation is already over.

Mother follows him. She reaches up to touch his face but he turns away, avoidant.

"Save your senseless touching for your true love."

"But that is you, my darling."

Adler recoils and stands up briskly. Mother hurries to move out of his way as his hand comes to his waist where his whip rests snug in its holster. Urdmin steps forward a little as if to comfort Mother.

Adler scowls at his movement, his teeth gnash together. A vein protrudes from his neck as he slowly uncoils his whip watching no one in particular.

"I'm going down to oversee construction. Urdmin, please escort Enoch and my wife back to the palace."

"Yes, ruler Adler."

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