#timeline ; yonder

[beholdingbenevolence]

The Wrath of a Father

Compared to his canon counterpart, Madden of the Yonder Timeline knew something was wrong from the start...

[beholdingbenevolence]

Things are... Getting tense.

Featuring @mordehistuff's android Dovahcom.

[beholdingbenevolence]

Theus tried out the undercut hairstyle at one point...

But it just felt

WRONG.

[beholdingbenevolence]

It's the day before (as of this posting) but happy Valentine's Day from those of the three timelines!

[beholdingbenevolence]

[YONDER] Synchronize

"Dovahcom..."

"Connect with me."

Theus stared intently at his android friend, whose facial-screen had an expression of a slight shock. Hearing these words from his mouth and not the other way around had it take a moment to process the request... Even Ian and Jebodiah, who stood close by, were not sure what to think.

"Sir, you do realize what Connection entails, correct?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have wanted it to be possible do to from your body. I had to prepare for anything, this included." Theus would begin to explain. "You remember Ian explaining what those visions were. If that sort of power is what it would take to help us fight his siblings, then..."

Even as he stood firm, there was that part of Theus that remained fearful. While he felt that this was needed, even the thought of it brought back the memories of those visions. Of that... Monster... Riding such a power-high.... Even Ian could see Theus' sort of restless posture and his eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Bo-" The Nadorian-looking deity stopped himself. "...Theus. You're... Sure about this, right?"

Jebodiah also piped up with asking, "Will you be okay...?"

The questions hovered over the Nadorian leader for a good moment.

"I'm..." He took a deep breath, exhaled, and then looked at the two. "I'm sure."

After a moment of silent pondering on all parts, Theus approached Dovahcom and gave a nod... Readying himself for the process. Understanding now of the request and the certainty, Dovahcom would place his hands upon the others shoulders; its fingers curling slightly into a particular position...

"I will warn you, sir. The process is not painless."

"Just-" Theus took another breath. "Let's just get it over with."

"Understood."

Theus would feel a few pricks into his shoulder, wincing at the sting. Dovahcom's screen would change from its face into a loading bar, signifying the start of the process...

"Initiating Connection."

It did not feel like anything at first. Maybe a tingle. Possible another little sting. But such minor sensations would not last...

They would intensify.

And fast.

Theus' body tensed up, stiffening as a loud, agonizing scream escaped him. His body felt like it was burning. His was heart pounding with great intensity and effort. He could not even make himself move as his entire being... Changed.

"Abe!" Jebodiah moved forward to try and reach out to his brother before Ian stopped him, slightly holding him back. The various others in the room could not ignore what they were hearing, either. From those of Jotnahyme to those who hail from Nadoria's sister planet and beyond.... There was concern, bewilderment, and everything in between.

Dovahcom's screen would begin to flicker as the loading bar reached the end.... And when it did, there was a brief moment of the bar being full before the screen shut off. Its body would let go of Theus, falling limp before it fell to the floor.

As for Theus, himself... He was breathing very, very harshly. His heart continued to pound. One could even see brief sights of pink-colored static bouncing off of his body. There was that exhilarating feeling; that sort of adrenaline rush that came from coming out of that intense pain. There was that touch of power... That ability to see and know all that has been able to be seen and recorded... To have the will of his machines at his fingertips...

...And that was when the anxiety and terror began to set in. Theus now had that power...

What if he began to lose himself to it?

His breathing quickened and his gut sank as that fear began to sink in. His eyes were shut tight. He had no time to cling to himself before Ian and Jebodiah ran over to him and held him close. They could feel Theus start to quiver and shake... But yet he still didn't let himself move. Perhaps because of that same fear...

That if he moved... He could hurt them...

"......I...." His voice was quiet... And they could hear Dovahcom's overlaying it. "I... Can... Feel him... Haunting me..."

"Theus..." Ian began. "You're not him... You swore to never be..."

"B-but... What if I... What if I stray from... That... After this...?"

Jebodiah tightened his embrace. "We're right here... We always have been... We know you well enough to know that you never would. And we'll be here to get you back on track if you do..."

Theus kept still for a moment longer...

...Before he, too, fully entered the embrace with his family of both blood and bond. Gradually... He would open his eyes, revealing those bright, glowing pink irises and pure black sclerae.

"I'm... Scared..."

The three of them kept the embrace for as long as Theus needed it. They knew he was... They knew why he was...

But they still stood by him. Even now, when everything is at its most dire.

Theus had many things that his tyrannical counterpart did not...

But the biggest thing he had beyond his foresight were his friends and family. People he knew he could go to and trust. People he let himself be vulnerable around and opened up to.

He accepted help. He let people in, never shoving them away.

And that still held true, even now.

[beholdingbenevolence]

The Chief Researcher of Rotom Labs

[beholdingbenevolence]

[HYW] Against All Odds

It was a foolish act to speak out against the deities. An act that one of his fellow Crimsonians had suffered the consequences of not long before he had departed from Infinity.

Yet... The sentiment that sparked such questioning was a mutual one.

Vyson pitied the poor soul, in a way. Both he and that Crimsonian held the same value; something that's created should not be so recklessly discarded and neglected. They claimed this new creation was an experiment...

What kind of experiment throws its populace and its overseer to the wolves? Isn't it their job to prolong life and to keep the light of Vegala alive? What would this even accomplish?

Vyson's faith in the powers that be wavered.

Even so, he knew to keep his mouth shut. Such sentiments were kept to himself until all eyes were no longer on him. The minute he stood upon the ground of Vegala 0 would be when he would become a guardian rather than an overseer. He was to enact his rule with a guiding hand and to protect those who would cross the bridge between hither and yonder.

......

....And protection is what these poor souls desperately needed.

Centuries upon centuries would pass. Intermittent between would be invasions from the eternal darkness beyond the bubble. Bloodthirsty and ravenous... Overpowering... One would wonder how there would even be survivors.

Vegala Infinity becoming strangely radio silent did not help matters...

Each invasion would shake Vyson's very core and foundation. He was supposed to be their guardian! He was of royal origin! A prince! And yet... He could not protect everyone.

Vyson stared at himself through the mirror. Tired and scarred both inside and out... He felt deep down that he was a failure of an overseer. Shameful and guilty, such sentiments wound his very heart...

No.

No, he could not just let himself wallow in his woes.

Such formalwear would be exchanged for something new. Dawn after dawn, piece by piece, he would forge armor for himself. New weapons would be made, his expertise with the arcane would be trained much further.

He was not going to let this planet go to waste. They needed a guardian. A leader. Someone to teach them. Someone to give them the knowledge they need to help fight back against the dark.

No matter what it takes, these people will have the power they need.

Life must persist.

Life WILL persist.

[beholdingbenevolence]

[YONDER] Distress Signal

(Takes place around the same time as the Final Transmission.)

The room was empty. The familiar lights of vibrant pink glowed among the faint white within the Domeplex control room. Hands would grip the edge of the center console as blue eyes gazed downward. Off in the corner was a powered down android within a charging station, hooked up with wires.

"Is there anything that plagues your mind, sir?" That familiar, digitized voice resounded in the room. "You have been standing there in idle for ten minutes. Are you not staring into space?"

Theus shook his head slightly, snapping back into full attention.

"…I can't help but feel like I'm not done." He sighed, adjusting his posture as he leaned against the console. "Like there's… Something in the back of my mind that is telling me that this is still some sort of beginning."

"This implies that there is an end you are anticipating, sir."

Theus' fingers traced the console, pushing down occasionally to bring up different holograms.

"I- Ugh, I know." He runs his fingers through his hair as he browsed through the different interfaces. "It's a ridiculous thought to have. To- To constantly feel like something might start to crumble right beneath my feet."

Theus would tap on one of the buttons, bringing up an image…

"You… Already know everything there is to know, DovahCom. So I don't really have to say why…"

…It was an image of Theus, Jebodiah, their mom, and their dad together from many, many years ago.

"But… Knowing that he's right here, right underneath my fingertips…" The expression on Theus' face dropped, his eyebrows furrowing as his gaze went from the image to the console. "This is his coffin, right? He said it would be like guiding my hand. But how much more would he be able to do, even if he is just watching from beyond? I…"

His voice would trail off into silence, the air around him almost becoming still in the contemplation. Ever since that night… And those warnings… All the work he did making sure he heeded them, to make the right choices, to make sure he didn't up creating some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy by mistake…

It was a vow to himself. But the uncertainty… The fear…

"I… I don't know. I'd want to think that he'd be proud of me. But… I'm not even sure if I'm at the point where I can be proud of myself."

Theus would close the holograms, letting his grip of the console go and returning to proper posture. There was a short shrug as his arms swung back to his side, hands slightly slapping his thighs as they rested. The circling icon within the center of the screen would flash as DovahCom would speak up.

"Your efforts have proven to uphold the Legacy, some suggesting that it has even strengthened. There is certainty that people would say that you should be proud of the work you have done. I am inclined to agree with this statement."

A slight, soft chuckle escaped Theus as he tugged on his jacket slightly.

"Thank you, DovahCom. I just…" He crossed his arms and looked towards the side a bit. "I guess the thought of what could have been still haunts me… If I had not stopped my father and gave him the help he desperately needed…"

Silence filled the room with both parties without a single word… Theus would eventually start to move again, getting ready to head out of the control room.

"That's… For another day. There's still work to be done and… I can't stop now-"

"If I may interrupt, sir, our satellites have picked up on an object approaching our orbit."

"What?!"

DovahCom would immediate load up different holographic scans of the planet. Some showed the different satellite locations, others their statuses. In the center was a camera view from one of them. It didn't look to be any debris nor did it look like an asteroid of sorts.

It looked like…

A small spacecraft?

"An extraterrestrial shuttle is closing in on Nadoria without any signs of cessation. Its speed was noted to have slowed as it started to approach the atmosphere and its appearance does not suggest that it is a combat vessel. Do we engage in first contact, sir?"

"Scan for any signs of life."

"Scans show six different lifeforms, one in critical condition. There are no signs of having endured attack during its travel, suggesting that the one lifeform must have been wounded either before departure or mid-voyage."

Theus thought back to what he could remember from his visions… He remembered a transmission being sent… But it was from a single, skeletal figure. This wasn't just one person. This was six. One of them in need of medical attention.

He doesn't know who these people are. Or what species they were. Or what language they spoke.

But if this is what is being shown to him?

He doesn't care.

"DovahCom. Initiate the live translator and establish a connection to the vessel's comms."

"As you wish, sir."

It was one thing setting everything up on the Nadoria side of things. It was another thing waiting to see if they would pick up the phone. Theus would wait patiently as the Domeplex's adaptive translation system would launch and for the signal to reach the vessel. Eventually, the connection would be established. The holograms changed from their previous display to a single one; a live waveform visualizer.

"Communication has been established. Translator active."

Theus took a breath, gathering the words to say as he got into the proper demeanor of a leader.

"This is Theus Valentin of the Valentin Legacy. I extend my greetings to you and welcome you to Nadoria. We mean you no harm in any manner. If I may ask, what is it that you seek?"

There was a pause before a deep, masculine voice spoke from the other side… The tone… Pleading.

"We- We need… Help."

Theus' heart jumped.

"…Who is speaking right now?"

Another pause as the translation would pass through.

"I… M-my name is Xavier."

"…Xavier Rotom."