"Zhi, her full name is the Cherubim." Ah-Yin walked with Zhao Chen along the star port's gallery.
Ah-Yin saw the somewhat astonished expression upon Zhao Chen.
She said immediately after, "Don't you feel this name very familiar? This is a term from the side of the angel civilization; they have an angel legion named for it besides. She was reared by the Master himself, and her body too was constructed by the Master himself. It was built at that time upon the Angel Race as its template. So you will see that the outward form of her body is much like the Angel Race's. At the same time, for the emotion module, the arrogant temper common to the Angel Race was used as well; so as to the Cherubim's attitude just now, I would beg my lord to forgive it."
So there was such a history as this upon this Cherubim.
A distant relation to the Angel Race, no wonder she gave Zhao Chen a feeling of having met the like before.
Thereafter.
Ah-Yin brought Zhao Chen into a hall.
Within the hall there was no other; only a figure standing erect in the middle of it, and a cylindrical platform one meter high, upon which a crystal hung suspended.
That figure was naturally the Cherubim of a moment ago.
"Zhi, by the Master's command I have brought him," Ah-Yin said.
The Cherubim looked Zhao Chen up and down.
Though the eyes of this angel could not be seen, Zhao Chen could feel that haughtiness within her very bones, truly a case of learning nothing good, and only the bad.
"Put your hand upon this crystal, and you will see the message the Master left for you," the Cherubim said icily.
Zhao Chen put his hand upon it.
Thereafter the images about Zhao Chen changed.
A familiar small figure appeared before Zhao Chen's eyes.
It was that little girl.
She sat upon a high-legged chair, swinging both her legs, as it were an innocent and artless little girl.
"Hee hee hee, I knew you would surely come! I guessed right; I have won against Ah-Zhi one more time!" The little girl's tone was very happy, as though she and that Cherubim had laid some wager between them.
"You—" Zhao Chen was upon the point of speaking.
And was cut off.
"This is only an image-message I have left; it cannot answer your questions. You need only listen well to what I am about to say to you," said the little girl, her expression turning suddenly grave.
Zhao Chen made no further sound.
"You have already a preliminary knowledge of the Gate of Gaia, and of the threat upon this side of the Gate of Gaia. But in truth there are more secrets yet, which you do not know. Within this world there exists not our universe alone. In truth there are very, very many universes besides. And commonly a technological civilization must step into the T6 technological stratum before it can break through the barrier of its own universe, and step into the age of the multiverse. As early as above ten thousand years ago, the Gaia Empire within our universe was upon the point of stepping into a T6 technological civilization, and had touched upon cross-universe technology as well. But why, before that time, had our universe no visitors from other universes? Was it coincidence? Or was it for some other reason?" The little girl narrated on of her own accord, as though telling over some story.
"In truth, when the Gaia Empire's expeditionary force departed in those days, they were not without word altogether. Though their interstellar warships never returned, yet they sent back an information capsule."
As she spoke, the little girl raised her hand, and a capsule such as a medicine pill appeared before Zhao Chen.
"Now, I shall tell you what is within this information capsule."
Zhao Chen's expression was grave; he felt that more secrets were unfolding slowly before him.
This information capsule opened.
A blurred image appeared; the features could not be made out, and one could see only that a humanoid creature was speaking.
"Year 377 of the Expedition Era. We have at last learned who our enemy is. They call themselves Order. It is not an interstellar power… how shall I put it… It is somewhat hard to explain; it surpasses the forms that we know. It is not carbon-based life, neither is it mechanical life. It has no substance; it is only a… spirit-body… I do not know how to explain it either; let us then call it a spirit-body. They opened a first exchange with us, and told us their history. In truth they too were originally an interstellar civilization, much as we are. After they became a T6 technological civilization, they entered the cross-universe age as well; and thereafter, having passed through who knows how many struggles with other T6 technological civilizations, they succeeded in becoming a T7 technological civilization. Or rather… in order to overcome their enemies, they were driven to use a certain technology, which made them a T7 technological civilization. That technology, put simply, was to have every life within their interstellar civilization offer up its own flesh in sacrifice, and to fuse the whole of their souls and consciousnesses into one. They became a spirit-body undying and unperishing. And they can, with their own spiritual energy, create certain technological weapons such as they used in life: interstellar warships, for instance. Those Pitch-Black Legion fleets we encountered before were produced in just this way. Once these interstellar warships are destroyed, they return again to their mother-body, and are then reborn. And thereafter launch their attack anew. It is by this technological means as well that their legion fleets are undying and unperishing, destroying without cease the T6 technological civilizations that formerly threatened them. In the end, they swept clean every T6 technological civilization. And became the strongest existence. They claim that they hate war, and that the development of technology must of necessity usher in war. So they prepare to establish an order, to protect the several universes. Upon every universe about to enter a T6 technological civilization, they will work their infiltration, and convey their own thought. To make the life of that universe likewise offer up the body in sacrifice as they did, and fuse soul and consciousness into them, becoming an existence undying and unperishing. They hope that we too can join. If we do not consent, they will regard us as a hidden peril threatening order, and will destroy our universe utterly! And so maintain order! We know that we shall, for our own decision, do battle with this strong and mysterious enemy; but we shall, for our homeland, fight to the last starship. Old friends of our home country. If we cannot return. Then keep our homeland well."
Zhao Chen's expression held some astonishment.
Order… a spirit-body… undying and unperishing… a T7 technological civilization…
"Isn't it true that upon the first hearing of such news one is somewhat at a loss? I was the same in those days. Order, this strange existence. It is the enemy we have faced all along." The little girl swung both her legs, her gaze as though looking off into the distance.
Soul and consciousness?
Zhao Chen recalled all of a sudden.
That unstable life-signal the Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship had monitored before, could it not have some connection with this Order!
So it seemed this Order had already begun its infiltration into their universe.
And the Mechanical Divine Church was in all likelihood the spokesman that Order upheld; and in that case those technologies the Mechanical Divine Church held were explained as well.
For behind it, after all, stood a strong existence that held a T7 technological civilization.
Order…
Zhao Chen's expression was heavy.