OVER THE SILVER SKY TO THE WORLD OF NEVER : Part 326 - I Can't Vouch For Daisy.

I don't mind admitting I'm an "Okay Boomer". Because I am okay. I have my own home and a pension younger people can only dream of. In addition to which I'll get a state pension when I reach the official retirement age. I retired at 50, because my pension was that good. Some say that's unfair. I agree with them. It is. I don't give a shit though. Fuck off why should I? You don't care about me. You're more like me than you care to admit. We all care about ourselves vastly more than we care about people we don't know. Recently, thanks to the wonders of the interweb, I discovered the phenomenon of the SJW. I've looked into it and I think I might actually be one. Yes I to am a Social Justice Whiner. I love to whine about inconsequential shit, that I'm far too lazy to do anything about apart from whine and insult people who disagree with me. We are brethren in the cause of making life as easy for ourselves as possible. I to pretend to care about disadvantaged minorities. Like them I'm white, well educated and wealthy. Like them I love telling the disadvantaged minorities what's best for them, without having any knowledge or understanding of the problems they face. And should those disadvantaged minorities disagree with my ignorant factless opinions, I will bully and silence them with my hate. What they have to understand is that if they want freedom and equality, they have to do as they're told. Or else. And best of all I can use my faked concern about the disadvantaged as both a shield and an excuse, for me to do exactly what I want.

(The copyright to this image is the property of TeePublic.)

After divesting themselves of their more uncomfortable articles of clothing, Sonara and Alavar completed the arrival ceremony. With a speech in elvish, which given they took turns in speaking Jake thought might be similar in nature to a marriage. Then there was a ceremonial driving of a spear into the ground by First Officer Herk, followed by a holographic light show. Once this was out of the way everybody went their separate ways. The elven royalty making their way over to Jake and Scarlet, who'd been joined by Daisy. Smiling broadly, in between good natured sighs of relief. Alvar limping slightly, now that he was allowed to. The two of them stood there. Wordless for a few moments. Tall and slim with eyes that felt like they were measuring you. Jake resisted the temptation to say anything. He shut his speech center down. Knowing that whatever came out of his mouth would inevitably be inappropriate at the very least. Bordering on insulting if he was extremely lucky.

"First off." Sonora opened. "Thank you for the crystal, it was more than generous of you. I haven't seen that much red selenite in my life. It's enough to fuel our entire home planet for a very long time. The dwarfs are going to be upset, to say the least. You've just prevented them from making a tidy profit. All good. We won't have to go to the Purple Mountains and bend double to get in. I'm sure they make the access tunnels low just to make life inconvenient for everyone else."

Before anyone could respond she gave them a potted history. Informing the humans this was a common experience for them. Mostly when they traveled to other realms. New visitors to the Centrum from the Never, not being a frequent experience. The last arrivals having been many millennia ago. Others passed through, either intentionally or by shear accident. Now that the gates had undergone their cyclical shuffle there would surely be others. The shuffle's cycles not being precise, the elves had departed a hundred or so years before. Not because it was dangerous as such, but because it caused innumerable problems with their technology. Some of which might be costly to remedy.

At this point Scarlet asked the first question. In the form of a declaration. That the elves in their fiction had used magic and been very conservative. Sticking with tradition. Their societies static and slow to change. Alvar pointed out the Shishani Nehru had indeed been thus when they first arrived here over a quarter of a million years ago. Since which time they'd visited millions of other dimensions as a race. He and Sonora had been to at least six versions of earth, spending centuries in total on them. They were particularly well traveled though. As such they were quite bohemian and much more open minded than the majority of their people. Though the presentation wasn't complete, Sonora and Alvar decided to bring it to a halt there. It would take a long time to give anything more than a faint impression of who and what they were. Besides, they had questions they wanted to ask. If that wasn't rude.

"Fire away." Scarlet replied. "Could we do that while we're walking though? Through your beautiful town if possible. This is all beyond our wildest dreams. The perfect peace is not something we're used to."
"It's not always like this." Alvar advised. "There are some very bad people out there. We've had a few conflicts in our time. Why else do you think we bring soldiers with us? We're friendly, not simple minded. Sonie and I have had to strap on our armor to lead them into battle many a time. Breaks up the tedium though. Keeps us on our toes."
They started strolling. Jake, Daisy and Scarlet trying to look in several directions at once. A noise behind them drew their attention. The gate had opened again. This time high tech vehicles were whooshing through. Hovering above the ground, held up by flashing repulsors. They rose into the air and flew off to all points of the compass.
"This is fascinating." Scarlet commented. "You had questions for us though." She addressed Sonora.
"To us you're no less fascinating. This is a first, in fact. We're wondering what brings 2 demigoddesses and a prime creator here?"
Jake and Scarlet looked at Daisy, who grimaced and shrugged, then at each other.
"Daisy is a demigoddess. I'm more of an adventurer myself. Nobody worships me. At least I hope not." Scarlet insisted.
Jake waved his hands at the elves.
"I don't even know what a prime creator is. I've destroyed a lot of things, mostly unintentionally, but I haven't created much, if anything really. Although when I was younger I did a lot of models. Tanks and planes mainly."
"You're being far too modest. Our instruments are very accurate. Your readings are off the charts, as far as the influence you've had on the dimensional continuum's. Daisy is the Matriarch of The People, they'll be really happy to see you again Thrice Blessed, Golden Light of the Dawn. And Jake in your travels you've created the Time Agents, out of time itself, the Sentinel's and the first generation of biological artificial intelligence's. Not to mention the Geochronometric Array." Sonora turned to Scarlet. "As for you Scarlet. Without you the prime creator would have created nothing. Without you there would be no Athena, no Raven, no Angelique, no Nemesis. You are the template on which they are all based. You are the only reason the prime creator has been able to reach back through time. The Matriarch wouldn't exist, if it weren't for you."
Jake and Daisy were regarding her with grins on their faces. They both crossed their arms.
"What? No. That can't be right. I've just been trying to have fun, and failing most of the time. I've got far too many flaws to be a demigoddess. Your instruments must be wrong. Daisy is the Matriarch, he's the Wanderer, I'm just a side kick. A footnote in their legends. If I'm mentioned at all."
This was golden opportunity, far too good to miss, for Jake.
"Oh no hold on there. Don't be so dismissive Scarlet. Sonora? Would I be right in saying there are loads of enormous statues of this modest, unassuming woman? That there are myths and legends throughout the multiverse under her countless names?"
"Yes. The Kilgrex of Chalifor believe that when all of her names are known and have been spoken, time will end. I don't think that's true personally."
Jake stroked his chin.
"Fascinating. Fascinating indeed. Do tell us more of the wonders she's responsible for across the multiverse." Scarlet gave him that unmistakable look, the soundless snarl, emphasizing it by glancing down at his groin. "Although on second thoughts I expect you'd like an answer to that question. Which if I remember is, what brings the three of us here at the same time. I can't be sure, but I think we were brought here by fate. We've been companions for a very long time and my instinct tells me this was always our destination."
The rest of the questions were were far less controversial as they explored the entirety of the beautiful elf town. Circling round the exquisite buildings until they arrived back where they started. Scarlet leaned into Jake. Hissing in his ear.
"If you bring that up again or even mention it to anyone, and I find out, I'm taking a blow torch to all your sensitive parts starting with your face and ending up you know where."
"I promise you won't hear another word from me on the subject. I'll be far too busy basking in the fact I had sex with a goddess last night."
"You're just the latest in very long line." She retorted, her voice low to avoid anyone else overhearing.
"Meh. Of course while I won't say anything, I can't vouch for Daisy. Someone's bound to ask what we've been up to here and she won't mind sharing all the the details."
Scarlet's head swiveled like a startled meerkat.
"Shit. Where is she?"
While they'd been engaged the Matriarch had taken her leave and headed back to the ship. It was so tempting for him. The devil on his shoulder telling Jake to mess with her. The angel insisting he should show some mercy to the woman he loved. Who'd just threatened to blow torch his balls.
"She's over there. If you run you can probably catch her before she meets anyone from the Nemesis." Scarlet sprinted off. He spun back to Sonora and Alvar. "She's got something that needs her urgent attention. Asked me to apologize for her sudden absence. Thank you for the tour."
Alvar cleared his throat at his wife. She looked a mite nervous. Glanced between him and Jake.
"This is going to seem very intrusive Jake." She commenced awkwardly. "Only we've been listening in. Purely innocently I can assure you. We're not spying on you and we aren't reading minds or anything magical. Only we know about your friend and his problem."
"Have you been talking to Scarlet?" He asked defensively. "Only she's got a very dark and dirty sense of humor. My "friend" doesn't have a problem. We'd already had sex four times and it took him a while to reco.." The look on her face stopped him going further. She tapped her head. The penny dropped. "Oh you mean Hermes. Forget what I just said. That was one of my little jokes, it's a game Scarlet and I play all the time." Oh Jesus, he was making things worse. "Do go on. Act as if I haven't said anything here."
The two royals tittered to one another. The princess continued.
"It's just that we have a great knowledge of the healing arts and a genome that has always been immortal. It's possible we can provide him with a body. By splicing together our genes and yours. It's the least we can do after you gave us enough crystals to buy our home planet."