Audience With a God

Audience With a God is a short story about Colonel Etah Owar's conversation witht he Titan Na'zrah on Arckas during Operation Titanic Discoveries.

The Truth
Etah and Na'zrah were alone, deep in Mt. Arterius, in the center of Arckadium.

"Those epithets... they're more than they seem, aren't they?"

"The Immortal Colonel shows his forefather's acute mind. They are only what you will be called."

"Then they are prophecies."

"Yes."

"I have one question."

"You may ask."

"The Harbingers; Are they truly gone forever? Have I lost the power to eradicate them myself? Were they destroyed at Xorgraria?"

A chime a soft laughter from Na'zrah.

"Come now, colonel. Think; What does it mean to be a 'harbinger'?"

"To guide something into fruition. But then, what do they harbinge? What do they guide?"

"The Harbingers are not a mere race; They are but a face to an idea."

"What idea do they represent?"

"Allow this one to explain from the start. Think of it: What did the Harbingers do?"

"Guarded the galactic core. But why?"

"Every universe has a gateway leading from it to other universes. These gates can only be properly used by this one's kind. These gates are forged from the hearts of galaxies."

"And our galaxy plays host to this universe's gate."

"Yes."

"Then the Harbingers guarded the Titan's way in and out so as to prevent mortal races from trying to go beyond themselves and achieve inter-universal travel, and potentially interfere with timelines."

"That is but a fraction of the purpose. At the center of all existence, where all universes connect, is what this one's kind calls the Hub. In the Hub, this one's kind sees all existence; All which has been, is, and will be in every universe in existence."

"A home base. A place where every Titan can learn what they need and see everything. If a mortal visted such a realm.. their minds, perhaps, if applicable, thier souls would be flayed. Obliterated. Then the Harbingers protected mortals two ways?"

"Though it is greater, that is still only a fraction. Xorgraria was the start of the Harbingers for you, and it will not be the end, but it is not thier homeworld."

"They were crafted by the Titans, weren't they? Built in the Hub, then dispatched to every universe to guard the gateway."

"You grow close to the truth."

"But still, that doesn't answer the question: What do the Harbingers harbing? What do they represent?"

"Think; Were it not for them, you would not be here. You would wither and die and be but dust and ash at this point in time in several other timelines this one sees."

"I don't understand..."

"Because you do not wish to accept it. The Harbingers represent destiny. They are agents of predetermined events. They are harbingers... of fate."

"But... The Karnasaur god, Deus, he said to our prophets that destiny can be changed! That fate can be rewritten!"

"Deus? There is no Deus."

"Wha-" Etah was shocked by the revelation his entire empire's religion was wrong.

"But these sayings are true. Fate can be changed; It simply requires much effort. The Harbingers were but a way of tying the chaotic mortal peoples into the order of Fate. But now that your empires have driven them out of existence..."

"...We have undone Fate in this universe."

"No. Merely severed its tie. Fate is omnipresent, as if it were one of this one's kind, but this universe is now much less constrained. Your choices are more unpredictable; Your destinys are more your own."

"Has this happened in other universes?"

"...It has not... Some Titans call your universe 'rogue'. In many ways, this one agrees."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not to this one nor most of its kind. But some are concerned by it. Marana and Krayhan find no issue, as long as thier children exist. But one of this one's kind revels in chaos, and despite much effort, your obliterating of the Harbingers has caused him to stir once more, and weaken his binds to the now naturally high chaos of this universe."

"Who?"

"You will learn."

"Before I go, I have but one question now: Can Harbingers from other universe come here through the gate?"

"No. They cannot travel through Hub themselves now. Even if they did, you would not recognize them. They go under different names and forms in different universes, but yours is special, crafted by the gods themselves... your Harbingers were the true form."

"You say the have different names and forms? Like what?"

"Cybermen... Daleks... Borgs... Reapers... Grox... So many names and shapes your mind could not even comprehend."

"I see... my curiosity is sated. I thank you, Nazrah. Beam me out."

"Farewell, Son of Yetu. We will meet again."