„Welcome, Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos! Been a while since you last visited my Core.”

Whisper was expecting an excited retort from Eyes, but when nothing came, she turned around from her floating formulas and lowered her puppet to her visitor. To describe Eyes as healthy-looking was impossible. His azure eyes. usually glowing with energy, appeared dim and lifeless. Specs of grime and dust decorated his golden mask and equally golden shoulder pads. His cloak appeared dusty and dirty, with the lowest tenth of the ornated fabric carrying a collage of dried mud and dirt.

Eyes nodded to Whisper, acknowledging her greeting with a deep sigh. Wordless, he lowered himself to the ground and assumed a decently comfortable position where his stubby tail wouldn’t bother him too much. He looked up and focused on Whisper.

“You look terrible, Eyes. Have they removed you from your position?” 

“No … Not yet.” The Ancient pulled his knees closer to his tattooed chest and groaned. “I am still your first contact person … for now. Say? Can I ask you for a word of advice, Far Whisper?”

“I have the astounding processing capacities you provided me with. If I can help you, I will. What is on your mind, Eyes?”

Far Whisper lowered her puppet even further, taking a slightly elevated seat next to the Ancient, and crossed her legs. The glow of her antennas reflected poorly in his dirtied mask; she was unable to witness her concerned reflection.

“… The concept of favours. I had to forget my pride many times to make you a possibility, my goddess. The House of Chemistry is by now in the hands of countless Benefactors, each desiring to follow their agenda and use you for all kinds of purposes, but to serve our dream of Void Chemistry.

I feel terrible … Whisper. I came to realize that I am the first and last bastion in my desire to allow you to find your purpose in the search for the Great Question. But your special connections to Iterator Five Lives Unbound is too much of a desirable position to ‘waste’ it on Void Fluid Chemistry ‘nonsense’. Be it the House of Life, the House of Strings or the House of Braids. They all want their share in your direct connection to Lives Meeting of Six.-”

“Seven.”

“They have already accepted you in their rows? I am delighted to hear that. How was it?”

“Enlightening. It is as you imagined it to be. Our field of science has quite a low reputation. But I am positive that I can convince Veiled Promise as well as Looks to the Moon to give Void Fluid Chemistry a chance. They both have spoken out about their interest in it.

Tower and Vice, and to a lesser degree Sky, have not shown that much interest in our field. But I am positive that I can bring them closer to it as well the moment I submit the first results, convincing them of its untapped potential.

But … what about the Houses? I have enough capabilities to take on their requests as well. If that lowers your workload, I will gladly take over some additional tasks and duties. It won’t change my primary interest, never will.”

“Thank you, Whisper. I was afraid you would be upset to have to endure such trivial queries. I had to set up many strings to keep you suspended, Far Whisper. I will review them and inform you about the tasks as soon as they get nodded off by the Council, which will be holding us in its grasp until all favours have been dealt with.

But … there is one more issue. One you can’t help me with, nobody but my ego could.”

“And that would be? Don’t be afraid to share your worries with me, Eyes. I have erected a secure perimeter around my Core. No records will ever leave this chamber. You are my Administrator and Architect after all. The closest to a parental figure.”

A sting! Whisper noticed the immediate reaction to her testing words with concern. He didn’t need to speak out his worries, she already knew what the issue was he struggling with was.

You embraced your role too much, didn’t you, my friend? Let feelings for your creation consume your rational distance from me. Lives told me about her awakening. About the enormous distance she had and still has to her Administrators. You do care too much about me, do you? 

Eyes eventually looked to the side and sighed, reached behind his head and pulled down the mask. It was the first time that Far Whisper saw an Ancient unmasked, but she was not too surprised given she already had a good impression of Eyes’ physiology, his bare and tattooed finely ashen-scaled middle section providing her with some hints, as well as his stubby, equally tattooed, tail.

The deeply tired face of a flat-snouted lizard-bird hybrid gazed up at her, him having through this gesture removed the last distance they had from each other. Eyes pursed his lips and let out a sigh.

“You hit the nail on the head, as expected. I care too much about you, Far Whisper. And someone of your Benefactors told that piece of information to the House of Forgiveness. They are the keeper of the karmic teachings. I had to endure many proofs of my dedication to the cause. I can tell you so much. Not one day goes by where I don’t miss my individual fingers or feet that don’t hurt while walking.

But I had a dream, a desire. A destination no sacrifice would be too great of a cost for. And that dream was you, Far Whisper. A dream worth suffering for.

…

But all that was for nought. The House knows now that, despite all the rituals I participated in, my sinful desire for company brought me to the point of caring too much. I am at their mercy. If they retract their support for my plead to remain your Administrator, I will get removed from the project that is you. Or worse, become their marionette instead.

If I get removed from it, I will be unable to fulfil all those other debts I made with the Houses and Administrators. …”

“And that would mean the end of you. I … understand your worries, Ey-friend. I instead ask you of one thing. Let me deal with those who hold debts over you as quickly as possible. My life is timeless, but yours … is not.”

“I … appreciate that, Whisper. … I don’t deserve your aid. I should have just left your development to someone else, giving up on my dreams once the debts became too much to handle by myself. Forgive me for having been so selfish … friend.”

Whisper didn’t say anything. Instead she lowered her puppet even further to lay a hand on his shoulder, revealing in the silence of understanding. Eyes might have been selfish, but his selfishness allowed many good things to happen. Be it her existence, her being able to research such a fascinating topic and most of all her having been built next to that particularly pleasant Iterator Five Lives Unbound. Whisper could never be mad at someone whose actions allowed her second-ever friend to become happy through the actions of her chronologically first friend.

After a felt eternity of silence, Eyes finally stood up and groaned in disgust at the smeared panels where he just sat before.

“I … didn’t realize what a mess I was. I will order a cleaning group to return your core to sanitary standards later this cycle.”

“Appreciated. Don’t beat yourself up over me, Eyes. I can handle whatever I will have to do to please my Benefactors. And you better focus on not giving the House of Forgiveness further reasons to question your faith. Anything else, Administrator?”

“That would be all, Far Whisper. … And thanks. Most of them will be boring and lengthy tasks that are impossible for the first generation. Following them will put our research on hold for a few major cycles I am afraid.”

“What are a few major cycles in the face of eternity?”

“… True. Void be with you, goddess of chemistry.”

The queries Eyes had piled up to make her creation a possibility couldn't have been broader in scope and thematic. Whisper quickly realised the true lengths her friend had to go to make her existence a possibility.

Was she mad about it? Hardly. Hurt? Not at all. Did she feel pity for Eyes? Yes, yes, she did.

Over the following 3.780 cycles, Whisper broadened her horizon in all directions. Be it physics, math, biology, karmic sciences or even the politics of the Ancients. Her tasks covered all of them and so much more. Lives was quite unhappy with the prospect of introducing her to various Iterators from her covered perimeter essentially selling her to them as a forced workforce. Whisper’s reputation plummeted in these major cycles to that of a stagehand. First impressions of her person, outside of the Admins, all went poorly, and her close friends felt obligated to clean up her name after her respective task was finished for that local group.

Obsidian Tower was the first of the Group Admins, who pulled her aside for a personal chat. Whisper feared herself from his coldness, having just completed an especially nasty and unforgiving query for the Administrator of his peer Golden Hysteria. She sighed and finally accepted the chat request after holding him up for the better half of the current cycle.

[LIVE BROADCAST] – PRIVATE - [1312.997]

Far Whisper, Obsidian Tower

OT: Who put you up to that, Far Whisper?

OT: You are making Hysteria uncomfortable. Cleaning up the mess she couldn't handle was too intrusive for your own good.

OT: You haven’t even asked her first! What were you thinking!?

FW: I operate under the direct order of Administrator Two Rivers, Seven Streams.

FW: She informed me to take care of the matter. And so I did.

OT: But why? Hysteria didn’t even know you before. You just popped up and rummaged through her shame and regret, fixing it with your superior intellect.

OT: I expected better of you, Whisper.

OT: … And Lives spoke so highly of you.

FW: Tower, please.

FW: … It is not like I had a choice.

Her next jobs went poorly in a similar fashion. And her inability to explain her actions to anybody made each query more complicated than the last. But she couldn't just tell them the reasons for her actions outright. If her actions didn’t ruin her reputation, the reasons for her existence surely would. And talking about it would cast dangerous shadows over Eyes, who did everything in his power to keep further worries away from her inability to serve the House of Chemistry.

The next Group Admin who sought out her person was none other than Looks to the Moon. The kind Iterator moved many mountains in the Meeting of Seven Broadcast to move discussions away from her actions. Whisper saw that talk already long coming, but now it was right in front of her screen, Moon’s optics observing her in visible concern, antennas vibrating softly.

[LIVE BROADCAST] – PRIVATE - [1313.318]

Far Whisper, Looks to the Moon

FW: I know why you contacted me. I am afraid I can't stop.

LttM: I am aware. Lives filled me in on the truth.

LttM: The unfortunate roots of your creation are in safe hands with me.

LttM: If you need to talk, Lives and I can aid you with that.

FW: I would have preferred if Lives would have kept it to herself.

FW: One more thing that can’t be changed anymore.

FW: I can handle myself. These are after all only lengthy tasks I have to complete.

FW: Although I wish I could work with the Iterators, instead of behind their backs.

LttM: Will you have to do queries for the Iterators of my group, Whisper?

LttM: I could prepare them for that intrusion into their privacy.

LttM: To not ruin your reputation in my Group like you did with Tower’s.

FW: … Grey Wind and you, Looks to the Moon.

FW: I do not look forward to prod at THAT particular problem.

LttM: I understand. I will inform Wind so that they won’t be surprised.

LttM: I can already imagine what issue my Skin Parasites want to have dealt with.

LttM: … Citizens. I … wish you success with solving that source of frustration.

Moon’s support helped Whisper immensely in saving her face when she helped out with delicate errands at Wind and Moon’s superstructures. Whisper’s laboratories were running tirelessly for the following 600 cycles. They only came to a halt after Eyes’ debts with the Administrators of Grey and Moon had finally been settled by her. As fate would have it, that stop on her journey of repayment was, however, not without unfortunate accidents.

Whisper was unsure if that could even be called an incident, as the fellow generation 3 Iterator Five Pebbles appeared in her direct messages. Having caught wind of her lowly duties unfit of a goddess, he probably saw it as a personal mission to scold that slightly younger model.

[LIVE BROADCAST] – PRIVATE - [1313.766]

Far Whisper, Five Pebbles

FP: I am ashamed to have been built mere cycles before you, Far Whisper.

FP: You are supposed to be godlike, but you act like the insect your puppet resembles.

FP: Are you a slave to your citizens? Have you no pride?

FP: …

FP: You have forgotten who you are.

Five Pebbles left the Broadcast

Broadcast entered read-only mode.

Pebbles’ unexpected insult to her forced mission was by no means an uplifting experience. She knew that her regional reputation would plummet even further by the time she was finally finished with her tour of debts. Whisper swallowed every urge to attempt to retort, she didn’t want to cause any more unwelcomed attention to her person.

Instead, she changed up her tactics and informed the Group Admins regarding any Iterator she was tasked to help out in whatever disrespectful way from now on. Promised Veil took the information well, having spoken out her commiseration to Whisper’s mission. Destined Vice on the other hand was not very thrilled about it, given their Administrator was one of the main Benefactors of her project. Witnessing the lengths the Ancients went to abuse the situation disgusted them deep to the core. But what other choice had she? She cared about Eyes’ well-being and if that was what it took to take the burdens off his shoulders, so be it.

Cycle 3780 of Whisper’s debt tour approached fast. The last remaining errands she had to run were dedicated to the Iterator Approaching Sky. Unlike most of the other debts she had to settle before, Sky welcomed her forced aid with open hands. Whisper was unsure if he was simply relieved about the fact that he wouldn't have to take care of these annoying and lengthy calculations to advance his biological intelligence grid. The few interactions with that loner of an Iterator were oddly sweet in comparison to her prior encounters with Sky.

[LIVE BROADCAST] – PRIVATE - [1316.011]

Far Whisper, Approaching Sky

AS: These results are enlightening. I have put them off for way too long due to obvious reasons.

AS: I assume a 'thank you’ would be in order, Far Whisper.

AS: Thank you. I can finally resume with that specific strand of my mutagenic intelligence project, integrating it into the grid.

FW: I am glad I could be of use, Approaching Sky. Unlike most of the other queries I did before, this project was quite interesting to take over.

FW: I hope you won’t mind. I enhanced the formula with a new Void Fluid molecule I procured. It should stabilize the mutation process and take care of that nasty high risk of a neural feedback loop, which had the chance of lobotomising the target’s brain.

AS: That issue? Let me take a look.

AS: An elegant and functional solution. I am impressed.

AS: You don’t mind if I could again rely on your expertise in the future?

FW: It would be my pleasure, Sky.

“All queries have finally been dealt with, Lives! I am free of the gripe of my Benefactors. And so is Eyes.”

“But at what cost, Whisper? Have you listened to the public forums lately? Your actions have left bad impressions on nearly all generation 1 Iterators of my perimeters. And among your generation, you have devolved into a joke. Whisper …”

Lives hung out in her Core with the aid of the second iteration of her solid-vision compatible drone. The small robot had now simplistic arms to support her body language. And was by now equipped with stabilizers to desynchronise the drone in case Lives would be moved too quickly in her own Core. She looked up to Whisper with a concerned expression on her four-eyed face, a shade tinting her forehead symbol to a darker yellow.

Whisper sighed and moved aside the layers of chemical formulas, which were at that time still surrounding her. She made a place in her vision for Lives and Lives alone, lowering her suspended puppet towards her.

“You think I am not aware of that!?” Her voice had a hint of anger and frustration within. “My ‘Benefactors’ insisted on skipping all formalities and just getting to work. Luckily Moon opened my eyes to at least warn the respective Iterators through their Group Admins. Do you think I wanted to spend my first four major cycles on this planet offending every Iterator I would come across? Big no!”

Whisper sighed and loosened up her joints, ceasing the growing tension. Her glowing antennas dimmed down, and her eyes lost the equally green glowing outline she usually showed when she felt aggravated.

“Look, Lives. What had to be done is now finished. My debts have been settled. I still have an eternity to make up for all of them. We are all rational and logical individuals, fuelled by a shared purpose. I am sure I can do that.

And besides. Approaching Sky for example liked my assistance. He is already thinking about further cooperative projects regarding his mutation grid.”

“That is good to hear, Whisper. Still.-“ Lives brought her drone further up, their faces now at the same altitude. “I am your senior, Whisper. I have promised Eyes to keep my eyes on you and assist you to the best of my abilities. So why … tell me? Why in the Void’s name didn’t you let me act as what I am purposed to be. I could have warned them all about your sudden ‘help’. I could have helped you.”

“I … I am sorry, Lives. I took my orders seriously. My Benefactors insisted on keeping my actions confidential and as direct as possible. Only when Looks to the Moon contacted me about all that did I realize that they wouldn’t inform their Iterators themselves.

The latter half of the queries went better thanks to that. And at that point I did include you as well.”

“Fine … but for the future, Whisper. We are a team. I am here for you, and I hope you will be for me as well. Now … let us clear up your name. You have quite a few apologies to do.”

“Yes, Lives. I do.”

It was all for her benefit. Her creation was only possible due to everything he did. All those favours Whisper had to do were nothing in the face of eternity. To please a few of the other Houses, forcing their stubborn Iterators to take care of what they refused to do or simply couldn’t. He sold Whisper to them as a way to get all those Generation One Iterators back on track. He shouldn’t feel any regret in it, that was after all what they were made to do. To solve issues.

Eyes lowered his gaze and sighed. He had left Whisper’s still-nameless city a few hundred cycles ago and was currently standing right in front of the Basilica of the Void. The city on top of Seven Red Suns’ back, Sunpeak. The seat of the House of Forgiveness, the holy capital.

The House cited him to their home turf. Intimidation tactics. The House of Chemistry had no power here and neither did he. The Ancient was unsure what the House could want from him as he acted faithful in the past four major cycles. Witnessing the things Whisper had to do did however break his heart beyond repair. Signing the contracts and viewing the conditions written down on fancy paperwork was one thing. But it was entirely different to witness Whisper’s reputation having taken such a freefall drop as a consequence of all those debts he had to pile up.

I hope you can forgive me, Far Whisper. Maybe what will come next can seal some of the mental scars my guilt inflicted on my soul. I am a pious man, and the House will confirm that. From now on no further useless queries shall distract you any further.

I will return to your side with positive news and together we will unlock the secrets of Void Fluid Chemistry. It only takes one last visit to free me from doubts. We will heal … together.

Two Eyes of the Infinite Cosmos took a step towards the massive basilica. His path would lead him into the main tower. The tower of Suns, surrounded by the karmic towers of the five burdens. With the fifth, the Tower of Company, being currently under active construction. He didn’t remember them having begun construction on the final tower the last time he paid the capital a visit to gain the blessings of the House.

They must have by now decided on who would be their final Iterator. A project of one thousand major cycles; finally it will be reaching its final iteration while I am still living my current life. What was the working title again? Project Shift? Wonder how that project is faring? I could ask?

No, I should focus on closing the book and moving forward. Void Chemistry awaits. My dream is closer than it was ever before.

With these thoughts on his mind, he passed the enormous golden gate to the Basilica, stepping into the maw of Forgiveness.