Penguin Logistics occupied a surprisingly cheerful building considering Lungmen's generally serious architectural aesthetic. Bright colors, casual atmosphere, and what appeared to be genuinely happy employees created cognitive dissonance against the backdrop of continental warfare and divine conquest.
I stood in their reception area with the Doctor, both of us waiting while their secretary confirmed availability. The place smelled like fresh baked goods and coffee, domestic comfort that felt surreal after yesterday's discussions about Knights of the Round Table and reality warping hackers.
"They're good people."
The Doctor said quietly, noting my assessment of the environment.
"Penguin Logistics started as a simple delivery company and evolved into something more complex. They take jobs others won't touch, operate in dangerous territories, and maintain neutrality that lets them work across factional lines."
"Sounds useful for someone who needs discrete courier services."
"Exactly. Which is why we're hiring them for this particular delivery."
Footsteps approached from the hallway beyond reception, two distinct patterns suggesting different body types and movement styles. The door opened and two women entered, both carrying themselves with the casual confidence of people who had survived countless dangerous situations.
The first was a Sankta, immediately recognizable by her halo and the distinctive energy that marked her heritage. Red hair, bright red eyes that sparkled with mischief, and an enormous gun slung casually across her back. She moved with barely contained energy, like someone perpetually ready to spring into action.
The second was a Lupo, her gray hair and tail marking her species clearly. She dressed in dark clothing that suggested preference for stealth and efficiency. Her expression was controlled, professional, but I caught hints of something deeper. Wariness maybe, or the careful neutrality of someone who had learned not to show emotion unnecessarily.
"Doctor!"
The Sankta greeted cheerfully, moving forward to shake hands with enthusiasm that nearly qualified as assault.
"It's been too long! How've you been? Still saving the world one medical operation at a time?"
"Something like that, Exusiai."
The Doctor accepted the handshake with apparent amusement.
"Though the scope has expanded recently. Saving Terra rather than just treating Oripathy."
"Big goals. I like it."
Exusiai turned her attention to me, red eyes assessing with surprising sharpness beneath the cheerful exterior.
"And who's your friend? New operator? You look dangerous in a fun way."
"Shiki."
I introduced myself simply.
"Recent recruit. Still learning Terra's complexities."
"Aren't we all."
The Lupo woman stepped forward, offering her hand with more reserved greeting.
"Texas. I'm Exusiai's partner at Penguin Logistics."
Her handshake was firm, controlled, carrying the kind of strength that suggested combat capability matching the weapons she carried.
"The Doctor mentioned you needed courier services. Something delicate that requires personal delivery rather than standard shipping."
"Exactly right."
The Doctor pulled a suitcase from where they'd set it beside their chair, the container looking deceptively ordinary despite its critical contents.
"This needs to be delivered to Laterano. Specifically to the Notarial Hall, addressed to whoever currently holds command authority after Lemuen's departure."
They set the suitcase on the reception desk, its weight suggesting substantial documentation within.
"The contents are sensitive intelligence regarding Victorian military capabilities. Strategic analysis, tactical assessments, and specific information about entities currently serving under the Lion King's authority."
Exusiai whistled appreciatively.
"Intelligence on Victoria. That's hot material right now. Half of Terra wants to know how to fight divine authority, and you're just casually handing over the answers."
"Not casually. This delivery is critical and extremely dangerous."
The Doctor's tone became more serious.
"Victorian agents are actively hunting for intelligence leaks. They have operatives throughout Terra looking for exactly this kind of information. If you're intercepted during delivery, you'll be killed immediately and the intelligence will be destroyed."
"So standard Tuesday for us."
Exusiai grinned, apparently undeterred by the threat of death.
"We've done plenty of dangerous deliveries. Remember that time we smuggled medical supplies through three war zones to reach that settlement in Ursus?"
"I remember you getting shot twice and nearly bleeding out before we reached the destination."
Texas said dryly.
"Not exactly encouraging precedent for dangerous work."
"But we completed the delivery! That's what matters!"
The Doctor cleared their throat, redirecting attention.
"The payment for this job is fifty thousand LMD plus hazard bonuses if you encounter active resistance. Additionally, Rhodes Island will owe Penguin Logistics a favor to be called in when needed."
That got Texas's attention. Her eyes narrowed slightly, calculating the value of having Rhodes Island's gratitude.
"A favor from Rhodes Island is worth considerably more than fifty thousand LMD. What exactly are you expecting us to encounter during this delivery?"
"Best case scenario, nothing. You travel to Laterano through standard routes, deliver the suitcase to Notarial Hall, and return safely."
The Doctor pulled up maps on their tablet.
"Worst case scenario, Victorian intelligence identifies you as carrying sensitive materials. They deploy assets to intercept, possibly including enhanced operatives or Arts users with capabilities exceeding normal parameters."
"Enhanced operatives meaning what, exactly?"
I asked, curious about the specific threat assessment.
"Victorian military has been integrating new technologies and Arts techniques since the Lion King's arrival. Some of their elite units now operate at levels comparable to Rhodes Island's best operators."
The Doctor highlighted several incident reports.
"They've demonstrated improved coordination, enhanced equipment, and tactical approaches that suggest professional military advisement. Fighting them requires genuine skill and preparation."
Exusiai was checking her weapon, the massive gun that looked more like artillery than personal armament. Her expression had shifted from cheerful to focused, combat readiness replacing casual demeanor.
"I can handle enhanced operatives. Between my Arts and this baby, most problems become significantly smaller problems."
She patted the gun affectionately.
"Texas is even scarier when things get serious. We'll be fine."
"The contents of this suitcase could change Laterano's strategic position."
I said, wanting them to understand the stakes beyond payment.
"Intelligence about the Knights of the Round Table, their capabilities, their weaknesses. Information about the Lion King herself and how she operates. This data represents months of analysis and could save thousands of lives if properly utilized."
Texas met my gaze directly, her amber eyes showing understanding.
"You're not just hiring couriers. You're recruiting allies in a larger conflict."
"Yes."
The Doctor acknowledged.
"Laterano needs to understand what they're facing if Victoria turns attention toward them. Which is inevitable once the Lion King finishes consolidating her current territories. This intelligence gives them time to prepare, to develop countermeasures, to coordinate with other nations facing the same threat."
They gestured at the suitcase.
"Inside are complete tactical profiles on Mordred, Gawain, Lancelot, and Galahad. Analysis of their Noble Phantasms, combat patterns, coordination strategies. Everything we've been able to compile from intelligence reports and theoretical modeling."
"Additionally."
I added, drawing on knowledge the Doctor had shared during our briefings.
"There's information about Artoria Pendragon herself. Her background, her transformation into the Lion King, the nature of Rhongomyniad and how it grants her divine authority. Understanding her mindset is critical for predicting her strategic decisions."
Exusiai and Texas exchanged glances, silent communication passing between partners who had worked together long enough to read each other perfectly.
"We'll take the job."
Texas decided.
"Fifty thousand plus hazard pay plus the favor. Standard Penguin Logistics contract terms, delivery guaranteed or full refund."
"Though hopefully we won't need the refund since that would mean we're dead."
Exusiai pointed out cheerfully.
"Always prefer successful delivery over posthumous customer satisfaction."
The Doctor pulled out contract documents, having prepared them in advance. Texas reviewed the terms with professional thoroughness while Exusiai examined the suitcase's security features.
"Biometric lock."
She observed.
"Keyed to specific individuals at the destination. Smart, prevents us from accessing the contents even if we wanted to."
"Also prevents anyone who intercepts you from easily opening it."
The Doctor confirmed.
"The suitcase has additional security measures. Attempting to force it open triggers an incendiary device that destroys all contents. Trying to scan it with Arts creates false readings that suggest harmless documents."
"You've thought this through."
Texas signed the contract and handed it back.
"When do you need delivery completed?"
"Within one week. Sooner is better, but we understand that rushing increases risk of detection."
"We can do four days."
Texas stated confidently.
"Leave tomorrow morning, use established routes through neutral territories, arrive in Laterano on day three, complete delivery and return on day four."
"Unless we get intercepted and have to fight our way through Victorian kill squads."
Exusiai added helpfully.
"Then it might take five days. Maybe six if we're really unlucky."
I couldn't help but appreciate their casual approach to mortal danger. They treated potential combat like minor scheduling inconvenience rather than existential threat.
"One more thing."
The Doctor said.
"The documents include a message addressed to Laterano's leadership. A formal proposal for military alliance between Laterano, Rhodes Island, and any other nations willing to oppose Victorian expansion."
That was new information. I hadn't known the Doctor was proposing formal alliances.
"You're building a coalition."
Texas observed.
"Coordinating multiple nations against a common threat. That's ambitious strategy."
"It's necessary strategy. Victoria cannot be opposed through isolated resistance. Individual nations fall one by one unless they coordinate defense and share resources."
The Doctor's tone carried conviction.
"The Lion King conquered Victoria in three days because they were unprepared and divided. That cannot happen again. If Laterano, Yan, Columbia, Ursus, all major nations establish unified front, then divine authority faces genuine opposition."
"And if they refuse the alliance?"
I asked.
"Then they fall separately and Rhodes Island becomes the last independent force opposing Victorian conquest."
The Doctor met my gaze.
"But I don't believe they'll refuse. Survival instinct overcomes political pride when extinction is the alternative."
We finished contract discussions and practical details about the delivery. Exusiai and Texas would depart tomorrow morning using Penguin Logistics' standard transport. They would maintain cover as legitimate courier company conducting routine business until interception forced them to reveal their true capabilities.
"Try to avoid killing people if possible."
The Doctor requested.
"Victorian soldiers are victims of circumstance as much as aggressors. They serve the Lion King because refusal means death for themselves and their families."
"We'll be gentle."
Exusiai promised with a grin that suggested her definition of gentle differed significantly from standard usage.
"Knock them out instead of ventilating them. Leave them tied up in embarrassing positions. The usual non lethal options."
Texas was more pragmatic.
"We'll minimize casualties where feasible. But if it's between our lives and theirs, we choose ourselves."
"Understood. I wouldn't ask you to sacrifice yourselves for enemy combatants."
They prepared to leave, Exusiai hefting the suitcase with casual strength while Texas gathered their equipment. At the door, the Sankta paused and looked back.
"Hey, Doctor. This intelligence you compiled. The stuff about the Knights and the Lion King. You know an awful lot about entities that supposedly appeared recently from nowhere."
Her tone was curious rather than accusatory.
"Makes me wonder where you get your information. Almost like you've seen similar things before, in a different context."
The Doctor was quiet for a moment.
"Let's just say I have access to unusual sources. Research materials that most people wouldn't recognize as relevant."
"Mysterious. I like mysterious."
Exusiai winked.
"Keeps things interesting. See you in four days, assuming we survive!"
They left, and I was alone with the Doctor in Penguin Logistics' cheerful reception area.
"She suspects something."
I observed.
"Exusiai. She noticed that your intelligence is too detailed, too specific for recent observation."
"She's perceptive beneath the cheerful exterior. Most people underestimate her because of the casual attitude, but she's extremely intelligent."
The Doctor stood, preparing to return to Rhodes Island's facility.
"But suspicion without proof is manageable. As long as we don't confirm her theories, she'll remain curious rather than concerned."
We walked back through Lungmen's streets, the city's afternoon crowds providing anonymity despite the weight of what we'd just set in motion.
"A formal alliance proposal."
I said.
"That's a significant escalation. Moving from isolated resistance to coordinated opposition."
"The Lion King forced the escalation when she summoned the Knights. Mordred, Gawain, Lancelot, and Galahad operating as a coordinated unit can conquer nations. Laterano needs to know what's coming and how to prepare."
"And if the alliance forms, what's your next move?"
"Depends on how the Lion King responds. If she accelerates her timeline and attacks before we're ready, we fight defensive war and try to survive. If she maintains her three month schedule, we use that time to develop countermeasures and gather allies."
The Doctor pulled up tactical projections on their tablet.
"Ideally, we create conditions where direct confrontation becomes unnecessary. Economic pressure, diplomatic isolation, internal resistance within Victorian territories. Force the Lion King to recognize that conquest costs more than it gains."
"You really think that will work against someone with divine authority?"
"Probably not. But it buys time, and time is our most valuable resource. Every day we delay full scale war is another day to grow stronger and prepare better."
We reached Rhodes Island's facility and entered, the security recognizing us immediately. The Doctor headed toward their office while I prepared to return to my quarters.
Then Kal'tsit emerged from a side corridor, her expression carrying the clinical assessment that defined her personality. She looked at the Doctor, then at me, her calculating gaze measuring something beyond surface appearance.
"Doctor. A moment of your time, please."
Her tone suggested request but carried command authority that made refusal impractical.
"My office. There are matters we need to discuss."
The Doctor hesitated fractionally, body language suggesting reluctance despite the professional mask they maintained.
"Of course. I'll join you shortly."
Kal'tsit departed without further comment, her measured footsteps echoing through the corridor.
I looked at the Doctor questioningly.
"She's going to ask questions."
They said quietly.
"Questions I've been avoiding for months. About inconsistencies in my background, knowledge I shouldn't possess, decisions that seem precognitive."
"Are you going to tell her the truth?"
"I don't know yet. Kal'tsit is brilliant, analytical, and completely dedicated to Rhodes Island. She'll either accept the truth and become invaluable ally, or reject it and become significant problem."
The Doctor adjusted their hood.
"Either way, this conversation was inevitable. Might as well have it now rather than delaying further."
They headed toward Kal'tsit's office, leaving me standing alone in the corridor.
I had my own preparations to make, missions to complete, power to accumulate. But part of me wished I could be present for that conversation, to hear how the Doctor explained our impossible situation to someone who demanded logical answers.
The facility continued its routines around me, operators and medical staff going about their duties unaware of the larger forces gathering.
Tomorrow would bring new developments. The courier mission would begin, Laterano would receive critical intelligence, and perhaps alliances would form that could challenge divine authority.
Tonight, truth would be shared between Doctor and senior medical officer.
And somewhere in the depths, other forces stirred.
Rhodes Island Facility, Kal'tsit's Office
The Doctor entered to find Kal'tsit waiting behind her desk, tablet displaying files and reports that suggested extensive research conducted over considerable time. Her expression remained clinically neutral, but tension radiated from her posture.
"Close the door."
She instructed.
The Doctor complied, settling into the chair across from her desk with apparent calm.
"You wanted to discuss something."
"I want answers."
Kal'tsit stated bluntly.
"Real answers, not deflections or vague explanations. I've tolerated mystery surrounding your background because your tactical brilliance has saved lives. But recent developments have made that tolerance unsustainable."
She pulled up files on her tablet.
"You predicted Victoria's fall two days before it occurred. Provided specific warnings about divine authority and legendary weapons despite having no apparent source for that intelligence. You recognized Noble Phantasms on sight and understood their capabilities immediately."
More files appeared.
"You've demonstrated knowledge of political situations in nations you've never visited, predicted Reunion movements with disturbing accuracy, and made strategic decisions based on information that shouldn't exist in any accessible database."
She set the tablet down and looked directly at the Doctor.
"So I'll ask plainly. Who are you really? Where does your knowledge come from? And what aren't you telling Rhodes Island leadership about the true nature of our situation?"
The Doctor was quiet for a long moment, their hooded face revealing nothing.
Finally, they reached up and pulled the hood back slightly, showing more of their features while maintaining anonymity.
"What I'm about to tell you will sound impossible. Insane, even. But it's the truth, and you deserve to know it."
"I'm listening."
"I'm not from Terra."
Kal'tsit's expression didn't change, though her eyes narrowed fractionally.
"Elaborate."
"I'm from another world entirely. A place called Earth, though not the Earth that Terra's history might reference. A completely different reality with different rules, different history, different fundamental nature."
The Doctor pulled out their tablet and began showing images.
"On Earth, Terra exists as fiction. A mobile game called Arknights, developed by a company called Hypergryph. I played that game extensively, learned its story, understood its characters and events."
They showed Kal'tsit promotional materials, character profiles, event summaries. All rendered in art style that clearly didn't match Terra's aesthetic.
"This is how I know things I shouldn't. Not because I have access to secret intelligence networks, but because I've literally seen the story unfold in a different medium. I know what's supposed to happen because I played through those events as interactive entertainment."
Kal'tsit examined the images with clinical attention, her analytical mind processing the impossible information.
"This would explain the inconsistencies. Knowledge without apparent source, predictions that seem precognitive, understanding of characters you've never met."
She looked up from the tablet.
"But it raises more questions than it answers. How did you arrive in Terra? Why were you sent here? And what else exists beyond our world that might interfere similarly?"
"I don't know how I arrived exactly. I remember dying on Earth, then waking up here with my memories intact. As for why, I believe some entity or force is collecting individuals from different realities and inserting them into Terra for purposes I don't fully understand."
The Doctor pulled up more files.
"The Lion King, Artoria Pendragon, she's from another fictional universe called Fate. A character from games and stories I also experienced on Earth. Her presence here proves that Terra is being used as some kind of convergence point."
"And the fighter with Noble Phantasms that Shiki represents."
Kal'tsit connected immediately.
"Also from Fate series, inserted here through the same mechanism."
"Exactly. Though Shiki's situation differs from mine. They were given explicit choice and wishes by an entity claiming to be a god. I simply woke up here with no explanation."
The office fell quiet as Kal'tsit processed everything.
"This information changes strategic calculations significantly. If Terra is being used as convergence point for entities from multiple realities, then threats we face extend beyond local conflicts."
She stood and moved to her window, looking out over Lungmen.
"The Oripathy crisis, Reunion's violence, Victorian expansion, all of it becomes secondary to larger forces manipulating our world for unknown purposes."
The door opened without warning and Amiya entered, her cheerful expression faltering as she registered the serious atmosphere.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. Kal'tsit, you asked me to stop by at this time?"
"Yes. Come in, Amiya. Close the door."
Kal'tsit returned to her desk.
"The Doctor was just explaining something important. Something you should hear as well."
Amiya looked between them, her empathic abilities probably picking up the emotional weight in the room.
"Is everything alright?"
"That depends on your perspective."
The Doctor said.
"Amiya, what I'm about to tell you will sound impossible."
They began the explanation again, showing her the same evidence, providing the same context. Amiya listened with characteristic attentiveness, her expression shifting from confusion to wonder to concern as understanding developed.
"So Terra is like a game on Earth. And you played that game, which is how you know things about our world."
She processed the information with surprising speed.
"That means you know what's supposed to happen to me. To all of us. You've seen our futures in a different context."
"Yes. Though with the caveat that the Lion King's arrival has changed everything. The timeline I remember is no longer reliable, events are happening out of order or differently than they should."
The Doctor's tone became more gentle.
"I've been trying to preserve important character moments and developments while adapting to changes. Your growth, your relationships with other operators, the challenges that shape who you become. I wanted to protect those experiences even as the larger story diverges."
Amiya was quiet, her ears drooping slightly as she absorbed the implications.
"Do I want to know what happens in the original timeline? What I'm supposed to become?"
"That's your choice. I can share what I know, or I can let you discover it naturally."
"I think I'd rather discover it naturally."
She decided after consideration.
"Knowing the future sounds like it would make living through it less meaningful. Like reading the end of a book before finishing the chapters."
She looked at the Doctor with determination replacing her initial uncertainty.
"But I'm glad you're here. Even if you're from another world, even if Terra is somehow fiction where you came from. You've been helping people, saving lives, making Rhodes Island better. That's what matters."
Kal'tsit observed the exchange with clinical interest.
"You're accepting this information remarkably well, Amiya."
"I can feel that the Doctor is telling the truth. My empathic abilities make lying difficult to conceal, and they believe everything they're saying."
She smiled slightly.
"Besides, Terra already has plenty of impossible things. Mobile cities, Arts that defy physics, Originium that grants power while causing disease. Someone from another world isn't that much stranger than everything else."
The Doctor visibly relaxed, tension releasing from their posture.
"I was worried you would reject the truth. Call me delusional or dangerous."
"Knowledge is neutral."
Kal'tsit stated.
"What matters is how that knowledge is applied. You've used your understanding to help Rhodes Island, to protect operators, to save lives. The source of that knowledge is less relevant than its beneficial application."
She pulled up new files on her tablet.
"However, this information about convergence points and multiple realities will require significant strategic revision. If entities from other universes can appear in Terra, we need protocols for identifying and responding to them."
"Agreed. Which is why I've been building alliance with Shiki. They possess similar out of context knowledge and capabilities that could prove critical."
The Doctor stood.
"I'll provide you with comprehensive briefings on the Fate universe, the characters involved, and the potential threats we might face. You deserve complete information to make informed decisions."
"Appreciated."
Kal'tsit's expression softened almost imperceptibly.
"And Doctor, despite the unusual circumstances of your origin, you've proven yourself valuable to Rhodes Island. That assessment won't change based on where you came from."
"Thank you."
Amiya moved to the Doctor and hugged them impulsively, her empathic nature responding to the vulnerability they had shown.
"You're not alone anymore. Whatever challenges come from these multiple realities, Rhodes Island will face them together."
The Doctor returned the hug briefly before professional composure reasserted.
"We should continue this discussion tomorrow. There's extensive information to cover regarding both Arknights and Fate series content."
"Agreed. For now, dismissed."
The Doctor and Amiya left together, their conversation continuing in quieter tones as they walked through the corridor.
Kal'tsit remained in her office, reviewing files and contemplating the impossible situation Terra now faced.
Multiple realities converging. Divine entities with legendary power. A god or gods manipulating events for unknown entertainment.
The Oripathy crisis suddenly seemed almost manageable by comparison.
She would adapt. Rhodes Island would adapt. They had survived impossible situations before through preparation and determination.
This would be no different.
Probably.
Unknown Location, The Abyss
Darkness pressed against Skadi's consciousness like living weight, crushing and suffocating despite her body standing in physical space rather than actually drowning. The weight came from within, legacy of a battle she had survived but not escaped.
Ishar'mla.
The name echoed through her mind like accusation and promise both. The Seaborn collective consciousness, the entity that sought to consume all land dwelling life and transform Terra into an ocean world. She had fought it in the depths, matched her Arts and strength against incomprehensible power.
She had won, technically. Escaped alive while Ishar'mla remained contained beneath waves. But victory came with cost she was only beginning to understand.
Its blood had mixed with hers during the battle. Just drops, insignificant volume that should have been harmless. But Seaborn biology didn't follow normal rules. Their essence carried information, consciousness, the collective will of an entire species compressed into genetic code.
Those drops were changing her.
Skadi stood in a cavern deep beneath Terra's surface, location she had found through instinct rather than navigation. Water dripped from stalactites, echoing in the darkness, each sound amplified by her heightened senses.
Too heightened. She could hear the individual water molecules separating as they fell, could taste minerals in the air that human biology shouldn't be able to detect. Her perception was expanding beyond normal parameters, incorporating sensory information that made no evolutionary sense.
The Seaborn were in her mind, whispers at first but growing louder. Not voices exactly, more like presence. Awareness of connections spreading across oceans, of consciousness distributed through countless bodies, of perspective that treated individuality as temporary illusion.
She fell to her knees, hands pressing against wet stone as she fought to maintain her sense of self.
"I am Skadi."
She said aloud, voice echoing through the cavern.
But the whispers countered with seductive logic. Why maintain separation when unity offered strength? Why preserve individual consciousness when collective awareness provided perfect coordination? Why fight inevitable transformation when acceptance meant peace?
Her body was changing too. Subtle alterations that she had been trying to ignore but could no longer deny. Her skin carried faint blue undertones now, coloration that matched deep sea creatures. Her eyes adjusted to darkness more efficiently than before, pupils dilating beyond normal human capacity.
Most concerning, she could feel her Arts changing. The power she wielded, the strength that had made her one of Ægir's most formidable warriors, was evolving. Incorporating Seaborn characteristics, adapting to accommodate the foreign biology mixing with her own.
She was becoming something between Ægir and Seaborn. A hybrid that shouldn't exist, transformation that violated everything she understood about her own nature.
"No."
The word came out as growl, defiance against inevitable corruption.
Each day the whispers grew louder, each night the darkness pressed closer. Ishar'mla's presence in her mind expanded like cancer, replacing her thoughts with its alien perspective.
How long before she lost the ability to resist? How long before Skadi ceased to exist and only the Seaborn collective remained?
She didn't know.
Couldn't know.
Could only fight, day by day, thought by thought, maintaining her sense of self through sheer stubborn will.
The cavern offered no answers, just darkness and dripping water and the slow erosion of everything she had been.
Somewhere above, Terra continued its conflicts and politics and struggles. Rhodes Island worked to oppose divine authority. The Doctor coordinated with allies from other realities. Entities gathered toward confrontation that would reshape the world.
Down here, in the abyss, Skadi fought a quieter war.
A war against herself.
Against the darkness that lived inside her blood.
Against transformation that promised power but demanded everything she was.
She would fight as long as consciousness remained.
She would resist as long as will persisted.
She was Skadi.
For now, that was enough.