Mirror Sky. Part 1 - Blissful Nemesis

02 - First Memory

Gost manifested inside the Landship Daring, in the corner of a small dark nursery. He saw a fully-clothed man sleeping on a narrow bed on the right, facing the wall. It was the child's father. Gost would wake him up later.

On the left side of the room, Gost observed a steel workbench, shelves with ammo, gas masks, moonshine bottles, pills, and a first aid kit. A spotlessly clean and perfectly realigned assault rifle was in the middle of the working mess.

Lastly, Gost looked straight. Against the wall, between the bed and the workbench, he saw a crude metal crib lined with old stained sheets. A stunning hologram of the galaxy spiraled over the crib, casting long swirling patterns on all objects and surfaces in the room.

The three-year-old Alexander Litt was inside the crib, enjoying the spectacle above him.

Even hidden from view, the boy made Gost feel small and insignificant. Gost lived longer than some nations existed. He could see the past and the future, cross dimensions, and look like anyone - yet the child gave him shivers.

Tentatively, he walked forward. His heart was racing. Decades of preparations would soon come to an end. Alexander's consciousness was about to ignite and record the crucial first memory. It would begin a long chain of events that would inevitably spiral out of Gost's control and descend the Universe into chaos.

That was his mistake all along – too much control.

Gost reached the crib and looked at Alexander Litt through the hologram of the galaxy. The boy could not see him. Gost would remain unseen if he could help it. He would be just a force of nature affecting the boy's life. Even with Gost's meddling, Alexander had more control over his fate than he did. It was true for all people whose lives Gost interfered with. They all had no idea how stubbornly fates resisted change.

A three-year-old boy in a crib was unaware of his importance and power. He was just a child. He looked healthy and well-fed, which was already an achievement compared to many in the Twilight. His straight brown hair was in funny spikes and bore no trace of his mother's grooming efforts just an hour ago.

The holograms reflected in Alexander's thoughtless chestnut eyes. Gost waited for the spark. The boy's first experience would be fragmented and messy, beautiful and ugly, cozy and scary. His life-long quest would begin any second now.

Alexander's face changed subtly as comprehension surfaced from the depth of his eyes. At that moment, consciousness possessed the boy, and he began taking in the world.

As Gost intended, the boy's journey would start with a beautiful lie.

The first image charted Alexander's mind – the hologram of a brilliant blue sky. Like mysterious friendly creatures, fluffy white clouds danced in this strangely cozy abyss and basked in the sun's golden rays. The yellow disk turned orange, then red, and charged the peaceful scene with millions of dramatic and vibrant colors. The spectacle grew intense and chaotic, then peaked and dissolved in the now inky sky, slowly revealing thousands, millions, then billions of stars. The twinkling lights formed strange and mesmerizing patterns, came together, and suddenly twisted into a magnificent galaxy that spiraled with dignity and order around its glowing center.

Alexander stretched his hands from the crib, attempting to consciously reach the stars for the first time. He smiled, and Gost smiled too. However, Gost's joy was short-lived. As he arranged, the gray and terrifying real world would soon reveal itself to the boy.

Gost wanted to apologize but did not dare to speak out loud.

Forgive me, Alexander. I wish nothing more but to take your place. Good luck. I will always be near.