“Get in.”

Kyla looked down at the sterile coffin which would enclose her for one thousand years.

“I had thought I would be coordinating—“

“You were mistaken, Get in.” The colossi woman raised the blaster in her hand a tad higher.

Kyla wracked her brain, trying to think of something, anything she could do to salvage the situation they had found themselves in.

There was none.

She looked to Sienna…

Her wife nodded, understanding nothing could be done.

“What of the Mini’s and the specks?” asked Sienna.

“The Minis are being rounded up and put into stasis, the specks are too small to put into stasis. What we find, we’ll put into your habitat. You will have to hope they survive the next 1,000 years.”

Now tears began to fall, sliding feely down Sienna’s cheeks. “This is all my fault. My experiments with equality have led us here.”

Despite the order from the guard, Kyla moved to hug her wife for what would be the last time in 1,000 years.

“It is not your fault,” Kyla said soft. “I am glad we are leaving. I am ashamed now that I can see that the system I fought for, that I helped sustain through my actions, it…“

“How evil it all is.” Sienna finished.

Kyla was quite proud in that moment, seeing her wife square her shoulders and lift her chin slightly in defiance. “Then I am glad to be leaving as well. We… you…” Sienna took Kyla’s hand,” …will create a better world, a better place for us all.”

Sienna stepped into the stasis unit, then lay down. Kyla knew her wife was afraid, but refused to let it show.

She knelt, touching her lips to Sienna’s for a moment. “I will see you again, in 1,000 years. If not then, we shall see each other in the world that is to come after this life.”

“I will love you for eternity.”

“And I you.” Replied Kyla.

Sienna took her last breath of freedom, then shut her eyes as Kyla closed the lid. Sensing an occupant, the unit powered up, moments later, Sienna was in perfect stasis.

Her wife duly taken care of, Kyla moved to lie in the unit reserved for her. There was no special treatment here. These units were lined up, row after row…after row.

The colossi guard looked to either side quickly, then moved to kneel, if only for a moment. She raised her right hand, balling it into a fist to then touch it to her left shoulder.

Kyla was stunned by the clear oath of allegiance to her by the guard, so much so, she could not speak.

“Many of us, within the Imperial Military are choosing to stand with you…Empress.”
Before she could react, the woman closed the lid.

The world faded around her…
**
A click, and with the release of pressurized air and the unit opened.

Blue eyes fluttered open.

For a fleeting moment, she believed she was home, in the manor before the reality of her situation crashed down about her again.

Unsteadily, Kyla rose from the tomb which had encased her for 1,000 years, actually 1,200 years by the chronometer. She groaned mightily while attempting to stand. More than a Millennium in stasis was hard on the body.

Immediately she stumbled over to where Sienna lay. When she looked to be okay, Kyla wept and continued to do so until Sienna touched her lips to hers.

“I was so worried for you. If something had happened to you I’d of…”

“Shhh…I’m here my love, we are here, together still.” Sienna said soft, then kissed Kyla even more deeply.

Helping her up, they both took stock of themselves, dressed exactly as they had been when put in the units. Sienna wearing her formal dress, Kyla in her Imperial uniform. What they had been wearing to the state dinner, and then in the dungeon overnight before being loaded on the transport.

“Can you walk?”

Sienna nodded, curious about all the others. As they moved into the passageway, they were greeted by the ships computer who kindly directed the way to the bridge by lighting the walkway.

“It would appear we are the first to wake.” Sienna wrapped an arm round Kyla, her legs still stiff.

“Yes.” Kyla said soft as they got into the lift.

Sienna looked up at her in amusement.

“What?!” asked Kyla, her brows knitting in confusion as she looked down at Sienna.

“Nothing, I was just expecting more than a simple “yes…”

“Yes, my love. It appears that we are the first to wake.”

“Don’t be snide with me, or i'll put you back in that box till you figure out how to be nice. That could take 2,000 years!”

Kyla laughed as the lift began its journey.

The doors opened and the two found themselves on the bridge. Gazing at the massive view screen they took in their new world.

“It’s Green.” Said Sienna nothing the atmosphere.

“That it is.” Kyla chuckled as she stepped up to the controls. She was not a pilot, she was just looking at the readout, the constant stream of information being gleamed by the ship’s sensors.

“Great gods!”

“What?!”

Kyla looked down at Sienna aghast. “This planet is as big as the sun is to Earth!”

“It doesn’t look it, I mean…”

“Over a million Earth’s could fit inside this world.”

Sienna could only look out at the emerald colored planet with awe. It was too much to comprehend. Especially as it seemed to her that they had been on Earth moments ago.
“I see lights!” she cried. “Look there!”

“Well…” Kyla muttered attempted to somehow… highlight…

“Can you zoom in.” asked Sienna.

“I was an infantry officer, I didn’t fly a computer for a living.” Kyla groused. “Looks like we are about to find out though, this ship is preparing for landing.

“Look at this!”

Kyla turned away from the screen and followed Sienna’s gaze.

What she saw was amazing…

Sienna knelt… “I always believed they could advance and look at them now…” she rasped… “Just look at them now…”

A city lay before them in all its tiny glory. More modern, more sophisticated than anything either of them had ever seen. Than anything the Colossi could have ever created.

“Hello.”

Both women toppled over each other being spooked by the voice.

“Are you the keepers that were foretold would someday return?” The voice asked from within.

“I…” Sienna was at a complete loss as to what to say. “Who is this?”

“Cidada, leader of the great council.”

“I can’t really see you.” Sienna muttered.

“Not surprising, we are very small, and you very large.”

Kyla laughed.

“Who are you?” the voice asked.

After giving her amused love an annoyed look, she did the introductions.

“My name is Sienna and this is Kyla.”

“You are the Keepers! The great protectors of legend who saved us!”


“Well…” Sienna looked to Kyla. “I…I… don’t know if I’d go that far… you see.”

“It is a very long story.” Kyla spoke up inwardly amused at actually talking to specks. Sienna was right, they were people, always had been. She should have trusted her wife to know in her heart what was right.

“We are so happy to finally speak with you!” Tears of joy ran down Sienna’s cheeks.
**
“Empress, our honor to serve you.”

“Quit calling me that!” barked Kyla. “This is not the Empire, this is…Botany Bay.”

The kneeling Imperial officer rose to her feet. A smile upon her lips, she understanding the reference from ancient earth history.

“Still, we need a leader, someone must make decisions?” the Colossi woman persisted.

Kyla sat upon the temple steps, looking past the woman to the city beyond. The Empress, in her moronic fascination with Rome had ordered the robots to construct their city based upon what that ancient city looked like. Beyond the stone temples and walls vast farmlands lay. This terraformed planet had resources enough sustain billions if necessary.

“We do need a leader.” Little Baroun said from within the palm of her hand.

“I don’t want to lead.” Kyla fairly whined. “I just want to live out my days in peace and…”

“That is not your path.” Sienna responded, before laying her head down on Kyla’s shoulder. In the far distance, the giant transport ships were continuing to land. What a waste it was. The Empress had spent trillions to send them all away because of her delusional belief. Kyla wondered why the Empress had acted in this way, why not just kill them all and be done with it?

“If I do, it will not like was, not like the Empire.” Warned Kyla. Sienna responded to those words by hugging her tight.

“We should vote.” Baroun suggested. On what type of government we want.

“Democracy, has it come to that.” Kyla said caustic. Sienna slapped her playfully on the arm.

“But… Empre… Kyla.” The soldier standing near corrected herself. Kyla couldn’t help but smile at the woman in sympathy. Everything was new, nothing like it was before.

“If we vote, if a Mini is chosen, does that mean-”

“We follow a Mini.” Kyla replied.

The colossi soldier blinked. “But what if a speck should-”

“Then we follow a speck…” Kyla could not believe she had said the words.

All the Colossi in the Forum were too astounded to speak.

“If it’s a speck, we’ll just have to, make sure we don’t, ah… accidently lose our leader…” Quipped Kyla.

Sienna slapped her again on the arm.

She stood rising to her full imposing height. Being careful of Baroun, still within her hand. Kyla walked down the stone steps.

“Pracyra is it?”

“Yes Kyla.” The Imperial officer replied.

“If we are to make it here, we must all work together, all of us, Mini, Colossi, and even Speck.”

“We shall try.”

“No, not good enough.” Kyla admonished, “We must.”