we sit in the dark waiting to reach our next destination. After making port in The Fever Breach, Fray took the reins. This has to be the fourth warp jump we've made. The waiting has me more than a little nervous.
We venture deeper into Eden space, though Fray isn't as forthcoming as I'd like concerning where.
They say, "You'll see. This is the last jump. We have just a few minutes more."
"Can you at least tell me what we're doing when we get there? I'm getting anxious."
Their face softens, barely illuminated by the red emergency lighting fretted along the cockpit. "You told me about your childhood, how you are a woman plucked from time by the will of some kind of monster."
"Nergal, yes. I was in cryo, but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Maybe nothing, but recent events have me wondering. I called in some favors and arranged passage."
"Passage?"
Fray sighs and shakes their head. "We're going to Daien."
"Daien? A system?"
"No," They reply. "It's a planet, the vigil I grew up on."
"I remember learning about eden space at the academy in case I ever needed to resupply. Why haven't I heard of it?"
"The system was left unnamed. You won't find it on any star chart. We tend to keep them hidden."
"Why?"
Before they answer, we drop from warp. The lights flicker on as the ship slowly restores its systems, one by one. Life support kicks in first, followed by communications, then engines.
They turn to me, and laugh as I rub my eyes. They're struggling to readjust to the burst of light. "I have an acquaintance who operates a clinic in orbit, one of the most sophisticated medical facilities the Lebha have ever built. I'm hoping they can help."
Fraeia activates the panoramic view. The tiles of the floor and ceiling rotate. The screens on the opposite side flicker on and the sight from outside leaves me breathless.
I'm staring at a planet, a continental world with vast oceans between equally vast masses of land. Clouds obstruct the surface but nothing can hide the vigil rings.
Along the equator and meridian of the planet are massive structures, vertical and horizontal rings that circle the entire planet. The rings rest on a set of pillars, rising just shy of 500 meters into the sky. What baffles me the most is how fast the planet is turning, and how it seems to slow the closer we get to it...
For the eden, a vigil is a test. Almost every member of their species will take at least one. A vigil is taken on a vigil world, a planet chosen and enhanced to challenge those who venture to its surface. Vigils are built to hone one of six distinct traits, traits that serve as the pillars of eden society.
Vigils are more than just places of learning. They are designed to shape you, to take the talented but raw mass of flesh and bone and mold it into something akin to perfection. What happens on the surface if a vigil is unclear. Each has its own rules, its own method of forging those deemed worthy enough to enter.
Taking a vigil is no simple task. You must be judged and deemed worthy. To step foot on such hallowed ground Is an honor but it's also a heavy burden. A vigil can be a lifelong endeavor. While anyone of any species can take a vigil, species with shorter life space aren't even considered. It'd be a waste of their precious life. Once you begin, it never ends. The only way off of a vigil world is to succeed or die trying.
The vigils sound interesting... but to look at them, not to do them, I would die the first second xD
Cool reads: Reaching the Meeraz | University of Delavar | Meeraz Morrow | Catoblepon's rambles