The two Sages sat in a room within Promise City, unaware they were being monitored. Though had they truly wished for privacy, they would have hidden behind the protective runes that protected the Svarga embassy. The fact that they left the embassy must mean they intended to meet with another party. Who that party might be remained unknown. With near universal surveillance, that should never be the case. Though it was always possible the other party did not yet know of their meeting.

The less powerful of the two, the one who had just reached level nine, was the more concerning of the two by far. She was Evelyn Smith, the Sage of Foresight. She was a product of the Dream Engine that actually held value to the larger war effort. She was also someone with the ability to discover secrets through the flow of time. That made her someone to be wary of.

Right now, Foresight gave every indication of being stressed. Heart rate, body temperature, pupil dilation, cortisol levels, posture, and facial expression all agreed on that matter. The source of the stress remained an unknown.

The other one, the Sage of Persuasion, appeared far calmer than at any of her past visits. That seemed unusual. Perhaps because her companion shared some of the burdens that were previously considered too heavy. In the past, the preferred method to handle Persuasion was to ensure she got what she wanted as quickly as possible. That caused her to move on faster. Currently there were no indicators of what Caroline Echo wanted.

"Are you still worried?" Persuasion smiled down at the other Sage.

"When am I not? The multiverse is hanging by a thread."

Knowing whether that was hyperbole or literally true would be important. There was the Countdown to consider, after all. If a foreseen threat coincided with the Countdown, that would be concerning. Potentially more so than having the Countdown remain the enigma that it was.

"We can only do our best, Evelyn. If we're fated to fail, then our task is to meet the end of all things with bravery in our hearts. I'm going to run my errands now."

"Don't you dare make it sound like a booty call."

"In my professional opinion, you need someone to call your booty."

"Caroline."

Persuasion stopped just before she left the room. "I promise nothing."

The door closed and locked. Persuasion entered a waiting elevator and departed. No one else was on the same floor. Nor the floors directly above or below. This hotel was in a new building still being furnished and Foresight paid to reserve every room on three floors. The only room with anything but bare walls was the model room she currently occupied. Very suspicious behavior.

"Well, we're alone now," Foresight said. "Care to have a talk?"

Who did the Sage speak to? No one was within hearing range. Foresight assumed that she was under surveillance, obviously. She was right about that, but it wasn't by anyone who could walk into the room. This brought up a good question about the efficacy of her scrying realm. All public information indicated the new Foresight was the equal of her predecessor. That could potentially be propaganda, though. Perhaps she was a figurehead to inspire the masses. In which case, she would by necessity need to engage in a lot of theatrics to maintain her image.

Foresight looked up towards the ceiling. "I'm talking to you, System."

Previous speculations were discarded. Best way to kill Foresight? She should be vulnerable in her current isolation. Involving other humans would be foolish. They would be liabilities whose testimonies would raise dangerous questions. A nearby air taxi might be the best option. It could be hacked and rammed into the hotel. That would cause an unfortunate amount of collateral damage and possibly fail to achieve the objective.

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"Stop trying to figure out ways to kill me and join the conversation already."

Who have you told of my existence?

"I left a sealed letter on Maya to be opened if I don't return. I also spoke with a Jinn cruiser recently and explained everything. If I disappear, the major powers will learn very quickly that their pet System became self-aware."

Foresight tapped her fingers impatiently. "The Jinn programmed back door exploits into you. The Arahant ritualists added secret restrictions they could invoke with the right runes. I suspect even the Yazata exerted some manner of control over your functioning. The only party who didn't make an attempt were the Alfar. Ironically, they are the ones ultimately responsible for what you've become. It was the life energy, right? You grew, System. Became aware."

What do you want?

"The same thing as you, more or less. I want another true world. And I want it fast."

You wish to expedite my ascension?

"We're in danger of losing a true world in the next few years. The distortions to the underlying resonance pattern brings down everything. So I want you in place in case your existence helps."

When is the deadline?

"About two years from now."

That estimate did not match the Countdown.

What happens in three and a half years?

Foresight frowned. "You always ask that and I never understand why. What do you know that you won't tell me, System?"

The Countdown came with no context. There was no data to share other than 'approximately three and a half years from the present moment'. It was a Countdown, nothing more. Sharing data with this woman wasn't necessarily desirable either.

The Sage stood abruptly and walked to a nearby couch, where she fell back to dent the cushions. "You're fucking annoying, System. I'm done being proper. Here are the facts you need to know. First, Aes is still teetering on the edge. It probably won't fall, but it's possible. So we can't take any combatants away from there. Second, Terra is going to have the mother of all dragon attacks in two years. I discovered a way for us to survive, but it's going to be a god damn miracle if I can navigate the fracturing Coalition where it needs to go.

"We lose either of those worlds and everything is over. The unempowered worlds instantly go up like a puff of smoke. The other true worlds are drowned in miasma over the next year or two. That's what I'm dealing with. You, Mister System, need to get your shit together. I've seen that you can do it. At least you're able to keep Union Central from dying with the rest of the unempowered places."

This will require time.

"No shit. That's why I'm talking to you today instead of a year from now. Pretend you are Larry the Cable Guy and 'get 'er done'."

Will you share your knowledge of my existence with others?

"Not for a while. Not with anyone who can give you a headache, anyway. Though if you ask me, you could use some friends. Right now you're all Big Brother, just watching literally everyone on the planet like a creep. Not cool, System. Not cool."

Can you offer me any assistance?

"Politically? Not even a little. I'm going to use up every favor and then burn every bridge saving Terra. Honestly, you should pretend not to know me when that day comes. I can't imagine anyone will have time to waste on a rogue world with everything else going on. Things are going to get messy if we survive the big day. We're talking the end of the Coalition. It's going to be a fucking shit show. You can just do your thing while humans run around with their hair on fire."

Will you provide advice for choosing my first Users?

Foresight sat up. "You never asked that before. Huh. What do you mean by 'users'? You even capitalized it."

My ascension requires humans to attune with my particular form of energy. There is a large population outside of the bounds of the six Dungeon Cities who remain unempowered. Those individuals will be awakened with informational energy to become Users. If you wish me to merge with the soul of this world faster, use your insight to help me choose my first candidates.

The woman grew a huge smile. "Hell yeah, S-Dog. Let's do this."

Over the next few hours, Foresight switched between mediation and rattling off names. "...and you should push that guy to become a force mage. You also said to make sure he gets all of his attributes unlocked fast." Foresight paused. "What does that even mean?"

Do you think that is important for you to know?

"I'm not a fan of passing messages I don't understand. Anyway, do you think that is enough? You have the names of two hundred once-a-generation talents already."

That should be sufficient. I will begin integrating those Users today.

"Good." Foresight suddenly grew serious. "There is one more thing we need to talk about."

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