-[  ]-

The craft glided through the near perfect vacuum, only the stray hydrogen atom, or subatomic elemental particle spoiled the perfect void. The oddly block shaped vehicle completing inscribed arcs as it orbited its sun. On one side a large window allowed light to stream across two figures.

They stood staring out at the land all around them, a land so vast that it excluded the nighttime sky of normal space, a land that stretched around the sun, forming a closed sphere, land features shrunken by distance, and partly obscured by an atmosphere suitably large to blanket several hundred million worlds.

            The figures were unusual, no particular race could claim them to share their form, they were unique, they stood in front of the vast window, looking outward. Neither of them spoke, at least not in ways that are familiar, but still a conversation was going on, communicating in some way across the small distance between them

            “I still think it was an error on our part, we could have handled this differently, it is not beyond our power to rewrite what has already happened”

            “No, not all is lost now, anyway we are not just under our own orders now, the situation has grown more complex since then.”

            “We tried acceptable methods to change their society, nothing big, just little things, but still our attempts have failed, never have we seen such a race so headstrong in their opinions, if only we could have had more influence”

            “But to have moulded them to our ideals is not the point, it was thought that they could in time be ready to join us, and in the joyous union we would learn more about them and ourselves”

            “They turned bitter, we should not have let them develop so quickly, to be beyond our steadying hand”

            “But this was a unique event, seldom have we known a race to come across that kind of situation, it was valuable to see how they develop”

            “They have turned against us, and now we have a race that disallows the normal operation of this part of the universe,”

            “Our contact was necessary, they would have continued to have threatened many others, and it was hoped that our introduction would have changed them, but their minds were so different to what we have known that our predictions failed our expectations”

            “But now we have a force that is ignorant of their limits, how easily we could crush them, only if it were not for our resolve”

            “No another way has to be found, the others assure me that they can use this event to their ends, a solution to our problem, and the potential to start a new project rolling”

            “There will be much death, I am not sure we can allow that”

            “The others insist that although there will be bloodshed the inevitable outcome is justifiable, you have heard of the phrase ‘born out of fire’”

            “If we allow them to continue to develop their technology they will find the way of crossing between this realm, and those of the main, our problems will have spread, and so must our responsibilities”

            “No, by allowing them to access the greater galaxy they will relent their concern of our realm, their focus on their neighbours relented”

            “But still we must protect our own, the races who cannot defend or hide themselves, those without technology”

            “They can be dealt with, they can be for the moment removed, transcended to another plane, where they can wait timeless, not knowing of the events around them, and later returned as if nothing has happened, and when the situation is resolved. The rest of us have other ways of making ourselves invisible”

            “We must play our part in warning the galactic main, the others refuse in playing that part”

            “Despite it being there own ground, I still find it hard that they wish to allow such turmoil, but it is a solution to our problems, can the necessary changes be made quickly”

            “They are already underway, a ship has been dispatched to the galactic main, to forewarn, most of the enlightened of this realm are preparing for transcension, other teams will be left behind to monitor and to guide the unfolding events, soon the arena will be cleared”

            One of the figures turned from the window and walked into the shadows, “It is not the first time we have seen war, we even fought with the others a long time ago, we remember the costs of conflict, you must let us have a say”

            “You may do as you see fit, your role as guardian has never been questioned, but you must allow the events to play through, you already have the influence, but you must not take control, what happens will happen”

            “You have told me this before”