All at once, Adam saw it—the destruction of Eppa. It lasted only a second, but in that instant, he experienced everything. The fire, the screams, the collapse of stone and steel. It struck him like a blow, driving him to his knees.
"I will do it," he gasped. "I will join Sern's fold."
He pushed himself up, looking to the council for guidance. But they said nothing. Without a word, the two men who had brought him there took him back to Zenon.
When he stepped through the door of his home, silence greeted him. The place was empty.
"I'm back," Adam said, as if announcing it to the walls.
Minutes later, the door swung open. Hezme and Shuxeta hurried in, their faces tight with worry.
"Where have you been?" Hezme demanded. "Main told us two men took you away."
Adam explained everything to them, then mentioned that he was going to check on Eppa.
"I just wanted to see you guys before I left," Adam said.
"Should I come with you?" Hezme asked.
"No, I won't be gone long," Adam replied. He glanced at Shuxeta, wondering if she would be okay.
The next day, Adam went to a spaceport and boarded a ship to Akio—the closest planet he could reach near Eppa. For some reason, Eppa was still being treated as a waste planet. No ships were allowed to leave. They weren't shot down, but they were stopped and boarded.
Inspectors checked for infection, and even if none was found, they still turned the passengers away. On the rare occasion someone was allowed to leave, most planets refused to grant them docking clearance.
Adam searched for someone willing to take him to Eppa, but no one wanted to risk being stranded there. Most feared that once they arrived, they wouldn't be allowed to leave.
Fortunately for him, a member of the Galactic Order was heading to Eppa. The ambassador had taken an interest in the planet's people and their rumored ability to replicate.
Adam overheard the ambassador discussing the trip and decided to approach him. The moment he stepped forward, armed guards raised their weapons.
"Step away from the ambassador," one of them ordered, aiming directly at Adam.
"It's fine," the ambassador said, gesturing for his guards to lower their weapons.
He turned to Adam. "How can I help you?"
"I'm going to Eppa and was hoping I could join you," Adam said.
The ambassador studied him. "Where are you from?"
"Zenon. I'm from Zenon," Adam replied.
The ambassador raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like a Zenonite. No offense, with the scars and all. Or are you a Purist?"
"It's fine," Adam said. "I'm not Zenonite. I'm originally from Orgoth."
The Ambassador allowed Adam to join them. When they arrived, the first thing Adam saw was a 30-foot statue of himself and Baserka. The Ambassador glanced at Adam, then back at the statue. Adam said nothing. He simply turned his head away, pretending not to notice.
As their ship touched down, a crowd rushed toward the Ambassador. In the commotion, Adam slipped away, vanishing into the mass of people before the Ambassador could reach him.
He had only one goal—finding Sakar. He returned to the place where they had first met and asked around. After some time, someone finally pointed him in the right direction.
Unfortunately, when Adam arrived, Sakar's wife delivered the news—Sakar had passed away a year ago from an illness.
As they spoke, a young man approached. He looked strikingly like Sakar now, with the beginnings of a beard and mustache.
"What is your name?" Adam asked.
"Asklot," the young man replied. Then, studying Adam, he asked, "Are you a Berserker?"
Adam considered the question. "What is a Berserker?"
In response, Asklot created a perfect copy of himself.
I guess what the council said was true, Adam thought. He reached out and touched the duplicate—it felt different from an echo. Unlike Adam's body echoes, which were limited, Asklot's duplicate was not only strong but also intelligent.
Adam decided to stay for a day or two to help out. When he asked Sakar's wife, she welcomed the idea and even insisted he stay in her home. Adam declined, preferring to find a hotel instead.
As it turned out, the Ambassador was staying at the same hotel. Upon learning this, the Ambassador had Adam's room added to his account and invited him to dinner. Adam accepted.
Over dinner, after they exchanged pleasantries, the Ambassador leaned forward. "No one comes to Eppa, and yet, the moment I arrive, I see a statue of you? That's no coincidence. Tell me who you really are."
Adam kept his expression neutral. "I know nothing about that. I came here to visit a friend."
The Ambassador didn't look convinced. Before he could press further, a woman entered and addressed him. "Ambassador Ken, your guests have arrived."
Ken gestured to his guard, who allowed the newcomers inside. Three men stepped into the secluded room where Adam and the Ambassador sat at a round table.
Adam moved to excuse himself, but Ken stopped him. "Stay," he said.
"Dr. Addi Summ, Head of Planetary Research."
"Nay Dimar, Majority Leader."
"Gar Shu, Head of the Berserker Religion."
The three men introduced themselves as the Ambassador gestured for them to take a seat.
"This is Adam," the Ambassador said, nodding in his direction.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," Nay Dimar began. "Eppa has enormous potential. We have resources and research we're willing to trade. All we ask is to rejoin the Galactic Circle."
The Ambassador took a bite of his meal before responding. "I've looked around, and it seems your people have recovered well from the pandemic. I'll have to discuss this with the other members of the Galactic Order, but we'll see what can be done about rejoining the Circle—perhaps even removing the 'waste planet' designation."
"Thank you," the three men said in unison.
Dr. Addi Summ produced a small crystal and handed it to the Ambassador's aide. "These are some of our latest research findings. Your science team will see that we can be a valuable addition to the Circle."
The Ambassador turned the crystal over in his fingers, then looked up. "Are you sure your people want this?"
Nay Dimar answered without hesitation. "We have the numbers. Dr. Addi represents the scientific community—around five hundred thousand strong. I lead five million citizens, and the majority of the population now follows the Berserker gods. Together, we have over eighty percent of the planet's support."
"Are you really begging to rejoin the Circle?" Adam asked suddenly, his voice cutting through the discussion. "When the pandemic broke out, they isolated you. They killed anyone who tried to leave the planet. They left you to fend for yourselves. Why would you want to go back to that?"
His words caught everyone off guard.
"The quarantine was for the safety of the Circle—" the Ambassador began, but Nay Dimar raised a hand, interrupting him.
"Ambassador, allow me." Nay Dimar turned to Adam. "Right now, we can't trade with any planet. We can't even leave our own planet. Yes, they quarantined us, and yes, they abandoned us. But if they hadn't, every single one of us would be skinheads."
Dr. Addi nodded. "The Coria EG-1 virus doesn't discriminate, Adam. It would have wiped us out."
Adam chuckled. "If the Berserkers had followed the quarantine protocol, you all would be skinheads."
Dr. Addi narrowed his eyes. "You said 'you all'—you don't think you would have been one of us?"
Adam smirked. "Well, yes. And obviously, the Ambassador wouldn't have been one either, because he'd never set foot on this planet."
"You think you're special?" Dr. Addi challenged. "Coria EG-1 infects indiscriminately. It doesn't care who you are. Or do you believe the Berserkers would have saved you?"
"Yeah, something like that," Adam said.
Gar Shu, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke. "I'm sorry to say this, but the Berserkers aren't real. Sometimes, people need a higher power, so they create gods."
Adam turned to him, intrigued. "You're the religious leader of the Berserker faith. How can you lead something you don't believe in?"
"As I said, to provide comfort and hope," Gar Shu replied. "One person probably developed an immunity. That's what saved us."
Adam leaned forward. "Then how do you explain people being able to make duplicates of themselves?"
"Science," Gar Shu said flatly.
Adam studied him for a moment. Then he asked, "Would you mind if I renewed your faith?"
"No—" Before Gar Shu could finish, Adam bonded with him. It lasted only a moment, but in that instant, Gar Shu saw what the council had shown Adam. He stumbled back, his body trembling, and collapsed into his chair.
A look of pure shock overtook him. Then, slowly, he fell to his knees.
"It's him," Gar Shu whispered. His voice grew louder, filled with awe. "You're the Berserker."
His colleagues stared at him, alarmed. "What's wrong with him?" they asked, rushing to help him up.
The Ambassador's guards moved in to restrain him, but Gar Shu didn't resist. He only shouted, "He is a god!" as they dragged him away.
The remaining two men looked shaken. They muttered hurried apologies and excused themselves.
The Ambassador turned to Adam, his gaze sharp. "What did you do to him?"
Adam shook his head. "Nothing."