Uncovered

“Togo. You’re late,” the Creator said.

“I’m sorry, sir.” Togo responded. His head was bowed, his eyes fixed on the white stone floor of the Cree-Or Palace. Around him, he felt the eyes of dozens of Cree-an guards and attendants watching him. Judging him, most likely.

“Togo?” the Creator asked expectantly.

Togo looked up. “Yes, sir?”

The corner of the Creator’s mouth twitched in a familiar expression.

“I’m joking, Togo. That was a time-travel joke. You need to stop taking me so seriously.”

Togo breathed a sigh of relief. He had spent nearly six hundred years running errands for the Creator, but still he worried and wondered. For all the good he did in the solar system, it never felt like enough.

“I apologize, my liege,” Togo said, taking a casual step towards the Creator. “I have a bad habit of revering those capable of creating universes.”

The Creator laughed, more heartily than Togo’s joke probably deserved. Togo smiled anyway. It was good to feel appreciated.

Especially on Cree-Or. The home of the gods. It was the brightest and most powerful planet in the solar-system, so bright and powerful that the other planets thought it was a sun. And to them, it was.

But to Togo, it was little more than a glorified office. It was where he met with his boss to report on and receive assignments. He felt honored to be the only non-Cree-an allowed to visit the holy Palace, but at the end of the day his business here was strictly professional. The Creator had granted him immortality in exchange for an indefinite number of favors.

The Creator was still chuckling, and he took a deep breath to steady himself.

“Togo, you ought to come visit me more often,” the Creator said, a twinkle in his eye.

“Perhaps once the entire solar system is safe, sir,” Togo responded.

The Creator shook his head as if in disappointment.

“I give you the power to teleport through space and time, and still you are too busy for to see an old friend?”

Togo smiled wanly and gave an apologetic bow. Now he was feeling too appreciated. It made him uncomfortable. His black armor already made him stand out in the crowd of white-clad deities. He didn’t need undue attention compounding his predicament.

“What have you called me here for, Creator?” Togo asked.

“Right. T business then.” The Creator pulled a piece of paper from his white robe and glanced at it. “Of course. Elementia. This is a good one.”

The Creator cleared his throat.

“There is a group of youngsters on Ortaa that severely needs your help. Well they will, by the time you get to them. I have put a lot of work into each of them, and I don’t want all my efforts going to waste.”

“How can I help Ortaan children if I am on Elementia, my lord?”

“There is information on Elementia that will help you with your assignment,” the Creator explained.

Togo nodded. He had received much stranger assignments than this one. He had learned to trust the Creator, even when his plans seemed half-baked.

“And what shall I do when I get there?” Togo asked.

“Hm…” the Creator said, smiling. “I think you’ll have to figure that out when you get there.”

Togo rolled his eyes. The Creator loved doing this to him. He rarely knew what he was doing until he was almost done doing it.

“Anything else?” Togo asked.

Now the Creator grew serious. He walked towards Togo, stopping less than a foot away. He placed a firm hand on Togo’s shoulder.

“Our enemies are at work, Togo. And they must be stopped. Your service to this solar system is invaluable. I hope you realize that.”

Togo nodded, surprised by the sudden sobriety.

“Thank you, sir. I will do my best.”

“You always do.”

With that, the Creator turned away from Togo and waved a hand of dismissal.

“Your coordinates have been sent to your computer. Come back here when you’re done on Elementia.”

Togo bowed, though the Creator wasn’t watching him. He switched off the speaker unit in his armor and addressed his computer.

“Have you downloaded the coordinates?” he asked.

“Yes. We are ready to Phase.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”