The stars were beautiful. They always were, and always would be. Shimmering brilliance in a cold, unfeeling void. One could become so lost in the splendor, that the grim reality slips their mind.
These stars were dead.
And they have been for quite some time.
Nothing but phantoms, carried on the backs of forgotten light.
Still he'd be lying if he said they weren't breathtaking. His leatherbound notebook in hand, flipped to an empty page. Where with a few sloppy strokes of the pen, he'd created something vaguely in the shape of the cluster. Though in all honesty, it was more of an insult to the splendor before him. Yet it would have to do. Nothing deserved to exist, and then be forgotten. Not even the burning balls of gas in the blanket of space. Creation was something to be valued, held close to heart, cherished.
Creating, and maintaining the records of all creation was an impossible task. And he was the perfect, if not the only one capable of such an undertaking. The price for an infinite supply of knowledge. Complete, and utter discretion. Nothing more, and nothing less. If even a sliver of information he's collected in his travels found it's way to another living being. The repercussions would be irreversible.
Although in his humble opinion it may not always lead to negative outcomes. The gift of knowledge during a plague, a war, a misunderstanding. So much destruction could have been prevented. However, no matter what feelings he harbored deep inside. He was only a Traveler.
And Fate was the domain of beings far greater than himself.
Than the gods of each respective world.
So the Traveler did as he'd always done.
He watched, and he recorded. Down to the decaying light of a star long gone.
The world below was lost. Turned to dust, the cause, and conclusion noted.
This was the clean up, soon the Traveler would depart as well.
Nothing was left. No reason to stay.
The Traveler added one last dot on the top left of the page. The sketch was complete, and so was his time in this realm. Shutting the violet notebook with a crisp snap, he turned on heel and walked towards the back half of the asteroid. Call it a ritual, or a grim reminder, but the Traveler needed to see the planet one last time. His boots scrap against the rock, dislodging small fragments which float aimlessly ahead. Joining the cluster of larger chunks, hovering in place.
The Traveler, pulled the journal out again. Flipping until he came across the first sketch he took of the planet. Vast, bright blue oceans covering most of the surface. White, swirling clouds visible from orbit. And the land, well developed, lights shining so bright it rivaled the stars. It was beautiful, until he flipped the next page. Nothing but gray, lifeless stone suspended where it was when the core ruptured. This asteroid belt was all that remained of this version of Ifralia. This was the world he was watching. The byproduct of meddling with forces man was never meant to see. And the humans here never invented space travel. There were no colonies, nothing, life had come and gone.
"Strange," He said in a smooth, ghastly whisper, "You aren't supposed to be here."
Out in the void, just beyond the enveloping swirl of space debris. The Traveler noticed a small, mechanical drone drifting. Its shape was angular, like a curved sphere, only with a smooth screen at the apex of its form. The Traveler held out his right hand, fingers extended. And as if willed, the mysterious robot was pulled towards him. The metallic shell smacking against his palm, before he cradled the machine in his arms. The people of this world did have robotics, but the Traveler didn't recognize this design. On a whim, he placed his fingers on the back of the tool, and sent a bolt of electricity through its metal shell.
The LED screen flickered, then fizzled out with a sad whine.
Another spark, same result.
But on the third attempt...
"SYSTEM RE-REBOOTING..." A digitized female sputtered out a set of system initializations.
"HIBERNATION PROTOCAL DISABLED. PERSONALITY CORE REGENERATING..."
The Traveler smiled, "How fascinating."
"HELLO," the robot said as it wretched itself free from the Traveler's grasp. Small anti-gravity generators popping out from the sphere's lower midsection, "I AM ADVANCED. MULTDIMENSIONAL. RECON. Unit six."
"Multidimensional?"
"YES. THE I.S.G DEPLOYED SIX OF US INTO THE FRACTURE ANOMLY TO RECORD WHATEVER WE MAY FIND ON THE OTHERSIDE."
The Traveler was struggling to find the proper words. In all his time traveling the web of creation. He'd yet to find a civilization who'd discovered, let alone sent drones out to study the wider ocean of possibilities. And somehow he was speaking to one of six machines sent out on that exact mission. How curious...
"There are six of you? Are they here?"
"NEGATIVE. THE ANOMLY SEEMS TO HAVE SEPERATED US. THIS WAS EXPEXTED, AND IN ACCORDANCE TO OUR MISSION PARAMETERS."
"In hopes of discovering something?"
"YES. SIGNS OF LIFE."
The Traveler's eyes shut, "Well you won't find much of that here."
"INCORRECT. MY HIBERATION ROTUINE CAN ONLY BE BYPASSED WHEN BIOLOGICAL LIFE FORMS ARE DETECTED." Unit Six zoomed to the edge of the floating boulder. It's head spinning around a full one-hundred and sixty degrees. Bathing the local area in a neon green light. Chattering and beeping, until the drone fixed it's sight back onto the Traveler, "IMPOSSIBLE."
Unit Six flew right in front of the Traveler. Scanning him once, twice, and then a third time.
"IMPOSSIBLE."
"Not what you expected?"
"CERTINATLY NOT."
The Traveler pat the drone on the top of its dome, "Sorry to disappoint you friend."
"ALL LIFE...?
"Gone," The Traveler stood at the edge of the abyss, "Everyone and everything. Except us."
Unit Six did not respond, at least not right away, "YOU INTERACTED WITH THEM?"
"Observed them, yes."
"TELL ME OF THEM," Unit Six joined the Traveler at the ridge, "PLEASE."
The Traveler did not know what to do. All of these years, and nothing even remotely similar to this encounter. He was forbidden to speak of his recorded knowledge. No other life must know the secrets he held within the journal. His only purpose was to watch, record, and move on. There was no contingencies on artificial beings. No known procedure to follow. This was a first encounter, in a multiverse of endless possibilities. And he, no one else, would be the one to set the standard. Part of him knew what the higher beings would want. Another wanted to go against it. He choose this life of endless solitude in worship of life's grand design. He thought himself numb to the isolation. But speaking with this curious little visitor stirred emotions he'd not felt in....
"Tell me first," The Traveler spun around to face the drone, "Do you have any means of returning home?"
"NEGATIVE," The drone said, "THE I.S.G PREDICTED THE ANOMLY WOULD STAY ACTIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE. HOWEVER THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE THE CASE HERE."
"Why do you want to know then? Programing?"
"YES."
"Hmmm..."
This recon drone wouldn't be going home. Unless this anomaly returns, but the chances seem slim now that the world was desolate. Who knew how long it had been floating through space before crossing paths with him.
"On one condition."
"STATE THE TERMS."
"I want to know everything about your universe," The Traveler smiles again, "And in return I'll tell you everything I know. Not just here, but other worlds, in other times, as well."
"ACCEPTED."
This action will be judged. In truth it will be deserved, he knew this well. But for now, the Traveler only wanted to share stories with a new friend. Was that so wrong? And when he departs this universe. If life should find some way to return. They'll find Unit Six, and they'll learn of those who came before. It was wrong, but was remembering the past of creation truly so taboo?
I'll find out soon enough...