Entering the corridor, apparently containing some kind of sensor, the corridor lit up, and it looked like some kind of "precursor" tomb from an Assassin's Creed game.
"Enterprise, do you see this?" I asked in Glostisk, but didn't get the expected answer.
"Enterprise?" I tried again to contact my wife, but there was only silence.
"Most likely, something is jamming the connection here..." I muttered, and decided to move down the corridor.
Walking down the corridor, I emerged into a large hall. In the center of the hall was a pedestal, on which sat a black "cube," similar to the one I'd seen in the fresco.
This "cube" reminded me of a tesseract from the Marvel universe? Only more... black?
It felt like it was absorbing all the light that touched its surface, making it look like a shadow.
Looking around, I couldn't see anything else.
Was this hall built for just one cube? Although, if this cube is capable of granting powers, then I think the large hall built for it is fitting.
Walking through the hall, I reached that very pedestal, and I had a bad feeling. It looked like the moment I touched it, the place would begin to collapse. This was very bad, and it made me run like crazy, where I could have fallen into one of the pits under the floor. Although, I'm sure that won't happen, since these aren't some ancient ruins, but a rather technologically advanced temple.
I approached this "cube" and, holding my breath, reached out and touched it.
As soon as I touched it, the world around me changed, and I found myself in outer space. Out of sheer panic, I lost my balance and fell, and instead of floating in outer space, I landed on... the floor? At least that's what I thought, although the floor was invisible and might even have been some kind of barrier. I could also breathe, which I clearly couldn't do in space, so most likely this was some kind of imitation of space.
I was about to panic until I heard a voice.
"Hush, child, you're not in real space," I heard a voice that belonged to a woman.
Turning around, I caught my breath.
Before me was a beautiful, mature woman, and the main feature of her appearance was that she looked like me, only an adult version, or rather, I looked like her? It was all quite strange...
Could it be that my soul had stolen my body? And the woman in front of me, is she the mother of the body or the soul, who looks quite mature?
Disturbing thoughts began to creep into my mind until I heard her laugh.
"FU-FU! I can see from your face what you're thinking. No, you didn't steal anyone's body, I just asked whoever created this body to use my DNA, which makes you my daughter," she said, grinning.
So, she's my mother?
I never thought I'd have someone like that in my life, even though she's not the standard kind.
"Okay, so tell me, 'Mom,' where I am and what's going on. Why, when I saw this planet, did it start calling out to me?"
She smiled, coming up to me. We were practically the same height, although she was a little taller than me. And what I didn't expect was that she hugged me.
"I missed you," she said, continuing to hug me. "What are you talking about?" I asked, surprised.
She pulled away from me and looked me in the eye.
"So you still don't remember... Fine, I don't want you to remember your... death..." she said and fell silent.
"Are you talking about my past life?" I asked.
She shook her head and looked me in the eye again.
"Would you like me to tell you a story?" she asked, to which I simply nodded, curious about the story.
As soon as I nodded, a sofa appeared next to us, and my "mother" sat down, pulling me along with her, so I ended up on her lap. This confused me a little, but I didn't object.
"Long ago, there existed an advanced race in the universe that dominated the entire universe. Their technology surpassed all other races that inhabited it," she said with a sigh, then continued.
"Much of the credit for the development of this race went to one girl, a scientist who advanced technology by millennia. She was offered the position of empress, but she declined, as she didn't want to rule, but simply wanted to create," the woman said, and I remained silent, waiting for her to continue.
"And one day, during an experiment to create new life, an accident occurred. At the time, she thought nothing had happened, but... after a while, she began to feel nauseous, her health worsened, and, deciding to check herself, she realized she was pregnant. She immediately remembered the experiment and the fact that she was a virgin, meaning she couldn't conceive."
"Over time, her belly began to swell, and many noticed it and even speculated about who the child's second mother was. This race consisted only of women, so same-sex relationships were the norm, so they had a way to reproduce..." she said, and then fell silent.
Well, actually, it didn't surprise me, so something similar happened with the Asari, only apparently this race didn't establish relationships with other races...
"Anyway, I'm getting off topic. As soon as the scientist had a daughter, she doted on her, and everyone around her was amazed by her beauty, and many said she took after her mother. And indeed, she not only inherited her mother's attractiveness but also her intelligence. Even as a child, she could already speak, walk, and read. And years later, she joined her mother in various research projects until an accident occurred," the woman said, falling silent.
"What happened?" I couldn't help but ask her, as I wanted to hear more.
She sighed.
"A scientist and her daughter were conducting an experiment involving souls... and during the initial test... her daughter died... It broke her, and she spent all her time in her lab, hoping to bring her daughter back to life, until such a method was developed," she said, looking at me.
The way she said it, and judging by the moisture in her eyes...
"That scientist, that's you... and her daughter is..." I didn't finish, so she simply nodded at me.
"But what? I don't remember anything? I only remember my past life, when I was a boy, that's all!" I said, raising my voice slightly, but it didn't anger her, and she answered me in the same calm voice.
"Because that experiment was a success... We were able to transfer the soul... But since the soul itself is too fragile to withstand the transfer, all memories were erased," she said.
"Then how did you get here?" I asked.
"I had help..." she replied, and from her words I realized she wouldn't tell me who helped her until...
"And that girl who gave birth to me?" I asked.
"Well... To be honest, your death was unexpected. I kept watching over you, and I saw you die and meet that young goddess. So I asked her to transfer my DNA into your new body," she said.
"So that's why I wanted to be a girl? Because I once was one?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
But I still find it hard to believe that I once had another life, and that I was a member of an advanced race. Honestly, it sounds like fantasy, although considering where I am...
Can my life as a boy really be considered unreal? I don't think so! All those feelings I experienced as a boy were real, just like my sister and Marin. Especially now, when my family has suddenly expanded...
"But it doesn't matter that this place, this planet, this lifeless city, and even more so... where are all the people? How can such a developed city, with no signs of life, remain unharmed?"
Mom... Well, it was a shock for me, but I'll still try to call her Mom, even though I don't remember her. In any case, she only sighed, but I felt her body tense.
"I came to this universe, thanks to someone's help, hoping to find you. But no matter how hard I searched, I couldn't. Then I stumbled upon this planet, inhabited by primitive representatives of a race unknown to me, but they were so similar to me. At that time, they were attacked by a more advanced race," she said.
"Reapers?" I asked.
"Yes, that's what they're called now, but I used to call them bugs that needed to be squashed," Mom said, and I heard the disdain in her voice.
But why did the Reapers attack this primitive race? Maybe they were interested in something about the planet.
"Yes, they wanted the planet," Mom said, as if reading my thoughts.
"No. I can't read minds, it's just written all over your face," she said, pinching my cheek, causing me to blush slightly.
"Anyway, this race didn't stand a chance against the Reapers, so I decided to help them," she said.
"That cube?" I asked, to which she nodded and pulled out her hand, in which the cube immediately appeared.
"This invention, you and I created together... This 'cube' is capable of imbuing any being with unparalleled power," she said, and true to her words, the cube responded by blinking, as if confirming Mom's words.
"But if the cube imbued people with such power, why is there no life in the city?" I asked.
"That's because the cube can extend life for quite a long time, but it cannot grant immortality. Its side effect on this race was sterility," Mom said, and I saw a sad expression appear on her face.
So they died out... the entire race...
"And this city? I assume they died out long ago. How could the city survive, as if time had no power over it?"
"It's all about technology... The inhabitants of this planet were able to survive for several thousand years, developing, and an ancient city capable of space travel, and it could also regenerate itself, which is why time hasn't touched it," she said.
A city capable of space travel...
"Mom... What's the name of this city?" I asked, swallowing.
"Atlantis," she replied.
What? How can that be? In a past life, I watched the show "Stargate," where there was something similar, but slightly different...
"Was this city once on planet Earth?" I asked, to which she nodded.
"Yes, as soon as the city was completed, we set off on a space voyage across the universe and visited the planet now called Earth, but that was a long time ago," she replied.
So the myth of Atlantis is true, it just looks different...
"We also left transmitters on the planet, like on many others," Mom said.
"Transmitters?" I asked, to which she nodded.
"Yes, we needed them so we could create a map of the universe, with different galaxies, systems, and planets," she said.
"And what do these transmitters look like?" I asked.
"Every planet has a different look, but if you're asking about Earth, it looks like..."
"Pyramids?" I finished for her.
She nodded at me and continued.
"In any case, I stayed with them, developing new technologies, and within a few years, they were unrecognizable as the primitives who fought among themselves; they resembled an advanced race. And yet, I had previously refused this, but I was forced to assume the role of empress. The first and last empress of Atlantis," she said, then looked me straight in the eye.
"But now, I want to rightfully pass this title on to you," she said, shocking me.
"What? Why?" I asked.
"Have you forgotten that the Reapers were interested in this planet? Are you curious about why?" she asked, to which I nodded.
"That's because this planet is capable of moving throughout the universe, and it doesn't need a sun or a protective atmosphere; it will always harbor life. Furthermore, I upgraded the planet's core, linking it to myself, or more precisely, to this cube," she said, handing me the cube I'd taken from her.
"Technically, the core merged with the cube, so this cube represents the planet's core. That's how I was able to travel to you because I sensed my child," she said, gently stroking my hair.
"And what do you want me to do?" I asked, holding the cube in my hands and looking at it.
"It's up to you. But I wouldn't mind if you adopted this city and planet, so you could have a safe haven to return to after your journey. You could also bring your family here," she said.
"Do you even know about them?" I asked, surprised. "Darling, I've been watching you since the moment your soul was reborn. So I know everything about your life as a boy, even if it wasn't long," she said.
Thinking about her words, I looked at the cube again and asked.
"Okay… I agree… but what now?" I asked.
"Just a second," she said, closing her eyes, and the next moment, the cube rose into the air and quickly flew into my chest.
I thought I'd feel pain, but it didn't, and soon the cube was back in my hand.
"That's it, this planet is now bound to you. You've also received a power that you can turn on or off. It's up to you to decide whether to use it or not," Mom said.
"Okay, uh… Am I sterile now?" I asked, blushing slightly.
Still, in the future, I'd like to have a child with Enterprise, although I don't know how.
"No, you're not infertile. Does that mean I should expect granddaughters?" Mom asked, smiling.
I turned away, blushing, but still answered quietly.
"Not now..." After my words, she hugged me tightly and began stroking my head.
"You're so sweet! I missed your embarrassment so much," Mom said happily, continuing to hug me.
So, in the past, I was almost like that...
"Okay, okay, I get it! Anyway, can we go back to the temple?" I asked.
"Oh, dear... I can't go back with you..." Mom said, a little sadly.
"What? Why? Don't tell me you're dying or a spirit or anything like that?" I asked in shock, causing her to laugh.
"You have a vivid imagination, but no. I can't right now because I promised someone a date," she said.
"Who?" I asked, shocked.
Who could Mom be dating? And should I expect a second mother to appear?
"A secret! Either way, that door over there will lead you back," she said, pointing behind me.
And indeed, a door made of white light appeared behind me.
Approaching the door, I turned to say goodbye to Mom, but stopped as a beautiful, busty woman in a long, all-black dress stood next to her. She also had completely black hair and eyes. She smiled at me and winked, and she and my mother disappeared.
I could only sigh. Most likely, this was the person who helped my mother, and most likely, she was the one my mother was dating. And apparently, she was some powerful being who could possibly be my second mother...
Shaking off these thoughts, I stepped through the door, which led me outside, in front of the temple, which had simply vanished.
I saw Enterprise and Elena sigh with relief upon seeing me.
"Sirin, I was so scared when the temple disappeared!" Elena exclaimed, hugging me.
I simply stroked her, then it was my wife's turn to express concern, and the only thing she could do was kiss me passionately.
Damn, my ship is becoming more and more human...
Breaking the kiss, she looked at me.
"What happened? Why did the temple disappear?" she asked.
"Well..." I then explained everything that had happened to me inside.
"Hmm... So this planet is yours now, and you're the Empress of Atlantis, a city that, according to myth, is supposed to be underwater, somewhere on planet Earth?" Enterprise asked me, to which I simply nodded.
"Don't forget, she also met her mother, your mother-in-law," Elena said to my wife.
"I haven't forgotten that... Mom... I mean, does my mother-in-law know about me?" my wife asked, to which I shrugged.
"You can call her Mom, I think she won't mind. And as for whether she knows you... maybe. Even though she didn't mention I have a wife, I'm guessing she probably does," I said.
"So all we have to do is wait for her to find us?" Enterprise asked.
I simply nodded, after which the three of us returned to the ship. We still had to decide what to do with the planet, the city, and my title of Empress.
Too many discoveries for one day...