Übermensch (3rd Edition)

Day 071, 11:59:59

Dark skies. (Dark lands.)

I catch sight of motion: a distant silver bullet is now speeding past one of the three clear Spires marking the border. The hovercraft blurs down a glass road through dark fields, nearing. A FLICKER of light upon the distant horizon, then it slows upon approach to the curb ahead of me before turning to present its curved silver side to a dim streetlamp lighting this end of the red carpet.

The Twelve. The Masters, The Superior Beings of this ancient, ruined and re-birthed planet. And now I, a mere Attendant, am to stand before their judgement.

Stepping into the cold light cast by a dim streetlamp, I leave my white toga, along with my long hair-feathers-flowers, flowing west against the easterly wind...

Ethereal.

Lightning FLASHES in the dark sky overhead.

I blink.

An emaciated figure wearing a thread-bare scarlet hanfu is standing by the first streetlamp while the silver hovercraft pulls away from the curb. BOOMING thunder sounds as it walks down the red carpet passing through shadow, onto the next dim streetlamp, shadow, and...

Respect.

I bow. "Master Wu wei. I bid you welcome."

Its wise eyes are upon me. "You follow the path?"

While rising, I pause. "Yes."

Wu wei gives me a gentle smile. "Then all is well."

I turn, and gesture...

Wu wei passes.

Turning back, I resume waiting.

Not all share its open mind. And not all will be such welcoming guests.

Lightning FLASHES upon the horizon, and a black bullet is passing the same clear Spire at the border. The hovercraft then speeds down the glass road through the dark fields, slowing down on approach to turn at the curb and present its curved black side. A door slides up and Master Oryx hops out of the hovercraft, followed by Aryx: both wear oval silver masks, with one etched Alpha, and one Omega. They skip down the red carpet from dim streetlamp to darkness as the dark bullet is pulling away behind them. Lightning FLASHES directly overhead, showing them frozen arm-in-arm, mid-skip, before the darkness returns again...

I bow. "Master Oryx and Aryx. I bid you welcome."

Now stopped ahead, both regard me. Oryx begins: "Two is one," ",and one is two," finishes Aryx. Together –

"so which are you?"

"Id." I rise and turn, gesturing them forward.

They skip past me, giggling.

An interesting pair. They are wildcards.

I turn back.

A white bullet is already speeding down the glass road through dark fields, nearing. Distant lightning then FLASHES between dark buttes as the hovercraft slows on approach, turning at the curb ahead to present its curved white side to the dim streetlamp lighting the start of the red carpet. A door slides up...

Oh!

I stiffen.

Emerging is an angel's smiling face framed by long, liquid gold hair, its slender body clad in a snug golden jumpsuit, and a glimmering golden cloak sprouting from the tight golden torque around its pale neck. Joy walks down the carpet while the white bullet is pulling away behind it...