Interstellar Age

Shortly after ending his call with Lunaria, Daelia approached Erich once more. She was being exceptionally clingy today. Almost as if she wanted to cement in Erich’s mind that she was the one person in this galaxy who he could trust most, his partner in crime, so to speak.

And because of this, her tone was filled with affection as she leaped up into the man’s arms and grabbed the back of his head. After all, Erich was now around 7 feet tall, after undergoing the enhanced genetic serum which Tia had developed to further enhance his and his people’s physical characteristics.

Meanwhile, Daelia was of average height for an elven woman, meaning she was around 5’5. The height difference between the two of them was absolutely staggering. Something which she seemed to particularly enjoy.

While locking her legs around Erich’s waist, and her arms around his neck, Daelia whispered something to him that caused the man to chuckle.

“I really don’t want you to go now that I finally have you all to myself. But I fear if you were to stay any longer, your lies would become suspect by my bitch of a sister. And if that were to happen, we would be forced to fight the cunt earlier than expected. Which would only prove disastrous when the time comes to fight the Naraku.

So I suppose this is a farewell for now my love. Do keep in touch, will you?”

Erich laughed slightly. He found the idea that Daelia was being so clingy to be quite amusing, as he placed the woman down on the ground as if she were a small child and pat her head, lecturing her in the process.

“I’m sure I’ll be back sooner than you realize. If you are really on my side, then in the coming days, I will have Tia send you some schematics to further enhance the capabilities of your armies. But I’m going to need a bit more proof of your loyalty before that happens…”

This challenge caused Daelia to snicker as she made a remark about Erich’s offer that he found amusing.

“Oh, believe me, we have plenty of time for me to prove that my words are true. So don’t go rushing things on my account. Besides, I may not appear like it, but I have been making preparations for the coming days for a very, very long time.

Over the past 750,000 years, if I had taken Lunaria’s forces as seriously as she took mine in our little proxy wars, I would have wiped the floor with her. I will send you some interesting files when you return to your home world that you and your little artificial intelligence might find to be interesting to say the least.

I look forward to seeing you again, lover, but until then, remember my by this!”

Daelia once more leaped into Erich’s arms, where she kissed him in a fierce display of passion, before ultimately leaving his grasp. She then walked off in a seductive manner while blowing him a kiss. An act that Erich had to admit was kind of endearing.

After this, Erich boarded his spacecraft, and took off, back towards Earth, which had previously been a part of Svartalfheim Space due to its loose system of “alliances” with smaller and inferior nations.

—

Upon returning to Earth, and more specifically the palace which had been built for Erich and his family. Erich secluded himself in his office, where he was quick to contact Tia. Naturally, Tia had been listening to everything that had been said between her master and Daelia.

She was, after all, embedded within Erich’s NeuroLink, and because of this, she could quite literally watch and listen to everything that Erich experienced in life. As an advanced artificial intelligence who was basically responsible for running the Germanic Star-Empire. Tia was incredibly busy.

Because of this, she was hosted all across the galaxy, with enough processing power to run millions, if not billions, of tasks simultaneously. Once of these tasks was to listen to observe Erich at all times. And thus the moment he spoke to her she was already prepared to answer.

“Hey, Tia, what do you think? Can Daelia be trusted?”

Tia was quick to respond with an answer, one that had been carefully calculated, taking all the information that she knew into account, including the new information which Daelia had provided her with.

This also included the information observed and analyzed from Erich’s visit to the maw within the distant past. After all, one of her processors was quite literally Erich’s NeuroLink, which housed a primary copy of her consciousness.

Meaning that when Erich went into the past with his physical form, there was a piece of Tia there with him, silently record, and analyzing everything Erich came into contact with. Once he returned to the future, this piece of Tia could reconnect with the rest of her consciousness, and thus, transmit all of the data she had received from that visit back in time.

With this in mind, Tia had come up with a theory, one she couldn’t prove, at least not with her current information, but one she believed was highly probable, and could also explain Daelia’s actions over the past million years or so.

“I think it is highly likely that Daelia is not being entirely forthcoming with us about her reasons for siding with you against her own sister. With that said, I do believe she can be trusted to fulfil that end. However, if my current theory is to be believed as factual reality.

Then it is possible, nay, probable, that the Naraku are the least of our worries… And that Daelia is preparing for something far more sinister, something her people can’t contend with on their own, and that Lunaria has no chance of defeating.”

This theory that Tia had suddenly sprung on Erich led the man with a lot of questions. None of which was comforting. And because of this, there was a slightly haunted tone in Erich’s voice as he begrudgingly asked just what Tia was talking about.

“What exactly is Daelia preparing for?”

Tia remained silent for a few seconds, perhaps for dramatic effect, before fully revealing her thoughts to Erich.

“Master, it is my belief that whatever Daelia did to the Maw, so that it was no longer within the Milky Way, has a time limit, and that it is only a matter of time before it returns.

If this were the case, her people were already corrupted by its energies, and may not have the means to banish it once more. As for Lunaria… Well, she would never work with Daelia to fight the maw, at least not until your intervention in the matter.

Thus, this meant that Daelia had to wait for some third party, some other species, one which was capable of taking the fight to the Maw and its horrors, to rise and assist her in expelling the darkness once and for all….”

Erich sat in awe at Tia’s theory for a long time until the silence was finally interrupted by Tia’s attempts to reassure her master that such a future wasn’t certain.

“Remember, master, this theory is based on incomplete data, and there isn’t enough evidence to say that this is a certainty. For all we know, Daelia could have other reasons for siding with you. But we simply have no way of knowing until that bitch decides to be honest with you…”