Aᵁᴰᴵᴼ

[ancestor]

...Hello?

Hello. I am not supposed to be here. I am supposed to be—

[ The voice that speaks is so quiet it's nearly a whisper; quiet and lilting in a way reminiscent of whale song. Her words are cut short by a wavering intake of breath. When she speaks again it's with the fervent confusion of a person who has recently experienced something very traumatic and can't quite comprehend it. ]

I'm supposed to be... I'm dead? I'm meant to be dead. I remember it. I remember— It hurt. I remember that. It—hurts. They were all screaming. Everyone was—

All of them—

[ A small, choked sob. ]

My people.

I'm supposed to be with them.

Comments

[ancestor]

[ She scoffs, bitter and cynical. ]

Few have ever cared.

But anyone who disagrees that Earth is one of the most singularly insulting things to name their star is a mindless fool, and I've dealt with enough of those in my lifetime. I hardly need them in death as well.

[albatrossomen]

[And here he'd been proud he'd briefly distracted her.]

While true, the matter of the planet's name I imagine is simply one not of particular import. More dire things to focus one's energy on.

Granted I do have to wonder if they ever regret naming their planet "the ground" in retrospect.

[ancestor]

As if they would have lived long enough to regret it.

[albatrossomen]

Their progeny are capable of creating change, you realize. And disliking the decisions of their forbearers.

[ancestor]

That is not the same as regret.

[albatrossomen]

Perhaps not.

Nevertheless, their world is named the ground and their star is named the sun.

I do miss when they called it a wheel.

[ancestor]

...'The sun'.

[albatrossomen]

Of course there were other names. Apollo, Ar or Arev, Aten or Aten Ra, Lugh, Olwen...

Numerous really.

A shame they settled largely on Sol.

[ancestor]

Azem.

[albatrossomen]

Your sun? I like the sound of it, strange I cannot think of any deities matching it.

[ancestor]

Yes.

I would hope not. To be deified is a horrific thought.

[albatrossomen]

You think so? Care to explain your thoughts? I've never considered it much myself.

[ancestor]

To lose all sense of self, fading away and becoming only what others wish you to be?

A miserable fate. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy.

[albatrossomen]

[Boy it's a good thing this is just audio. Though the long, heavy silence probably said a lot more than he'd like it to.]

Yes... that would be a terrible fate.

[Was that too monotone? It might have been too monotone.]

Granted, I was not speaking of becoming literally a deity, only one in name.

[ancestor]

What difference does that make? There is power in a name. In the end you become lost to the image others paint of you.

[albatrossomen]

...



[She's not wrong.]

A valid point.

[ancestor]

Yes.

[ She knows she's right. ]


I should go.

[albatrossomen]

[The only addendum she missed is you don't actually have to be a deity.

He'll be keeping that to himself.]

Hm? Yes, probably. I apologize I could not be of more assistance.

[ancestor]

It's fine. It isn't a reflection upon you. I am simply beyond assistance.

[albatrossomen]

I shall leave you to it, then.