Shortly after an Arch-Inquisitrix in robes of green and gray departs, the doors cycle open once more, this time letting in an apprentice in robes of amber. Arch-Inquisitor Melchizedek, adorned in his usual cowled robes of black and red, looks up from a desk, where he appears to be going over some arcane notes and maps of strange places.

"Please be seated, Apprentice Envoy of Lothrhyn," says the black unicorn-like Aeonian to the winged white-and-gold Exile as the door cycles closed behind her, leaving them alone for the moment.

Envoy sits down in one of the chairs meant for flyers, and smiles to the Aeonian.

The unicorn asks, "What brings you to the Temple, Apprentice?"

"I was concerned about the magical attacks on Rephidim, sir," Envoy says. "Are we at war with Babel and the Empire?"

"That Babel and the Nagai Empire have openly declared hostile intentions toward Rephidim is a verifiable fact," says the Aeonian, "and that we have taken military action against them, as well. The fact that we are not considered officially at war at this moment is a technicality."

"Has Rephidim had to face such an alliance in the past?" Envoy asks.

"Yes, there have been such conflicts in the past," says the Aeonian, "though not within the lifetimes of most."

The Aeolun seems to relax a little. "So, there isn't anything to worry about this time?"

"Worrying does little good," says the Arch-Inquisitor, "but that is not to say that such a war is not cause for alarm. I verified that Rephidim has faced such alliances in the past. I never said that such alliances were dealt with at anything less than considerable cost in lives."

"Oh… ," Envoy says, "In that case, I was going to offer to help, if I could. There might be a way to at least discourage Nagai and Babel from testing Rephidim's strength."

The Aeonian arches one eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing lasting," Envoy says, looking up towards the ceiling, "maybe turning their capitol cities into Forbidden Zones for a little while, until they give up or surrender."

The Aeonian says, "That sounds very bold. How do you propose to accomplish such a thing?"

Envoy blinks and looks back at the unicorn. "Oh. Well they wouldn't be real Forbidden Zones, you see. Just regions of chaotic phenomena, so that magic and weather wouldn't behave. The probability regulator on Fortunatis should be able to do that."

The Arch-Inquisitor asks, "How would this probability regulator on Fortunatis be employed to do such a thing?"

"Oh, I'd just go back and set it to do it," Envoy says. "I'm sure it can be programmed to stop the effect after a specific duration."

The Arch-Inquisitor inquires, "What assurance do you have that this regulator will behave as you expect it to? The simulation of Forbidden Zones is no small feat. I would be hard pressed to find a chaos mage who could truthfully boast of having done such a thing. Even if such a thing weren't likely to get him a vacation spent in the Hospitality Suites."

"Well, it is a First Ones artifact," the Exile says, thinking. "It has been working fine for a very long time, and answered every question I put to it. I haven't tried contacting it through magic yet, but it did assure me that it could be reached by such means. I could try asking it if it could do this sort of thing, or perhaps ask Morpheus to ask it for me."

"When you say that it has been 'working fine', does that mean that you have determined its function?" asks the Arch-Inquisitor.

"Oh, I asked it what its function was," Envoy says. "It was made to regulate probability, and a more advanced part of it was built to manipulate reality itself. I think it was the source of the Sifras' power, and may be responsible for most of the magic on Sinai as well."

The Arch-Inquisitor nods. "You are aware, of course, that it is a theory within the College Esoterica – and within the Temple – that Forbidden Zones represent flaws in magic, localized to physical locations … do you not?"

Envoy nods. "The artifact did define them as breakdowns, but also indicated that a repair mechanism was operating and that they posed no danger to the overall stability of the system. "

The unicorn nods. "But what you propose, in effect, is to introduce at least one more such irregularity to this system, am I correct? Probably two."

"Not necessarily," Envoy suggests, "It may be possible to simply transfer probability from one area to the other. Tapping into the chaos of a nearby Forbidden Zone, perhaps, or simple transferring all of the magical potential from Ashdod into a chaotic zone around Nagai City."

The Aeonian nods. "I do not know much of magic. It is not within my field. But from what little I know, your plan does indeed sound bold, and would have the potential for being overwhelmingly decisive. It would also seem to carry unknown – but regardless considerable – risks."

"One city has already been wiped out in this conflict," the Aeolun points out, "and Rephidim's magical adepts have also been attacked. The opposition may even have one of those boomer weapons, if you believe the rumors. In this case though, we can test the feasibility of this kind of tactic, by first trying it on an isolated and uninhabited target."

The unicorn nods. "Quite reasonable. If this were any other war, you might have a good argument for this case. And your bravery in volunteering to undertake such risks personally is commendable to say the least. But there is an important consideration to keep in mind: the reason that we are in this conflict in the first place. Contrary to the beliefs of many, we are not fighting to protect the City of Hands. The 'rumors' of the boomer weapon we assume to be true. What we are fighting for is to ensure that it is never used, regardless of the target."

Envoy blinks. "Do you know where it is?"

"I know where it is believed to be located," says the Aeonian. "I cannot with all certainty pinpoint its location. But it is believed that it is being held on Fetiss Sky Island – the sky island that was believed to have been created by a Sifras site in the Vykarin Wastes, during the exploration efforts of a cooperative effort between Nagai and Rephidim."

"Oh," Envoy says, looking less sure of things. "I don't know if the Fortunatis artifact, or any Sifran technology for that matter, can effect an Exile artifact, or even be able to detect it. But then, it's certain that someone in the Nagai military would know where it was, and that person is susceptible to Mind Magic, or other means of persuasion."

The unicorn says, "Magic provides many chances to exploit weaknesses. The Nagai are rarely known for exposing weaknesses when it comes to the Sphere of Mind – or at least of such a magnitude as that – especially since it represents one of their greatest strengths in the realm of magic."

Envoy ponders a bit, then suggests, "Sir, I know someone that is an expert on Sifran technologies. He might be able to tell us if there is a way to pin down the location of the boomer, and if it can be effected in any way. If so, there may be a way to neutralize it."

"Who would that person be?" asks the Arch-Inquisitor.

"Morpheus," the Exile says. "Who else? He is a Sifran artifact, after all, and is connected to the crystal network of the world Morpheus – a world which also has Exile artifacts on it."

The Arch-Inquisitor presses his hands together, resting his muzzle on the arch formed by his fingers. "I would be hard-pressed to argue against such a thing, though there are some who would balk at the idea of enlisting the aid of a civilian to communicate with a being of such unknown powers and purpose. That said, I should bring up a point regarding the initial idea of creating Forbidden Zones on the surface."

Envoy nods and pays close attention.

"First of all, the purpose of this conflict is that we cannot accept the idea of the 'boomer' being dropped on the surface. We would take issue with this, even if it were to be dropped in the ocean," says the Arch-Inquisitor. "The reason for this is that we do not know what damage would be done to Sinai … but we do know the effects of the last 'boomer' that was dropped. The results of our studies so far are not promising."

"I would suggest that detonating it at sky island altitude could have different effects," Envoy says. "I don't think detonating it anywhere is a viable option, correct?"

The Arch-Inquisitor explains, "As you no doubt know already, the dropping of the 'boomer' caused an explosion that resulted in the swapping of a section of Sinai's surface with that of a neighboring planet, Abaddon. Testimony by those who were present at the time of this incident leads us to believe that, for an instant, portals of some nature were briefly opened to other worlds as well."

The unicorn says, "As for the idea that it would have a different effect on sky islands, this is part of the reason why we believe they are studying the 'boomer' on Fetiss Sky Island."

"The first part is that the 'boomer' exploded at an altitude above the surface of Himar. It did not explode on impact. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing exactly at what altitude it detonated. Since the 'boomers' were previously located on a sky island, and – so far as we know – have never been taken to the surface, we have reason to believe that a mere decrease in altitude is sufficient to set these weapons off."

Envoy blinks. "I never heard about other portals. But… if the First Ones did set up a system for regulating probability, a large disruption could conceivably cause otherwise suppressed quantum wormholes to inflate… err… ever mind. If you knew exactly where it was, do you have a plan for neutralizing it?"

The unicorn says, "There is a limit to which details I may divulge to you, seeing as you are still a civilian, and not of the Temple. But let me also add that there is evidence that the 'boomer' may have weaknesses." He walks over to a bookcase, and pulls out a large and flat book that he sets down on a table. When he opens it up, it's evident that there are several maps tucked in folders bound in the book.

"I don't need to know any military details," Envoy says, "I just need to know what information you need." Nonetheless, she can't help craning her neck to look at the book.

The Arch-Inquisitor pulls out a map of a section of Himar – namely, the plateau known as the Red Cliffs. He sets it down on the table beside the book, and smoothes out the curling edges, weighing down the corners with polished stones. "Note that this plateau has several 'holes' in it." He points at several that are located roughly on the eastern half of the plateau. "Each one of these 'pits' runs all the way down to the original ground level of Himar. At the bottom of each pit was found a section of the wilderness that had not been swapped with a section of Abaddon."

The unicorn adds, "It was later revealed that there was one factor that each of these areas shared in common. A Vartan that had secretly visited what was later to be known as the Gateway Tower had gathered up some pieces of Sifran crystal that he found amongst the ruins. He returned to his home in Himar, and rather than keeping his horde of … 'shinies' … in his cabin, or tied in his tail, he buried them in the woods nearby."

Envoy frowns, "Then that material was shifted to a different reality altogether?"

The unicorn says, "The locations that he buried each of those Sifran crystals in corresponded exactly to the centers of these 'pits' in the Red Cliffs. On Abaddon, it was verified that the shape of the 'Pit of Himar' is exactly the same as the 'Red Cliffs' … even to the point that, for every 'pit' in the Red Cliffs, there is a tall, thin rocky spire – save where some have broken off and fallen by now – in the corresponding location."

"The importance of this," the Arch-Inquisitor says, "is that where there was Sifran crystal in the ground, nothing was transported. So far as we know, there are no major known Sifran 'veins' in the vicinity of Elamoore."

Looking up to the tall Aeonian, Envoy says, "And Sky Islands have a considerable amount of Sifran crystal in them. Do you think the boomer could be contained in a cage of such material?"

The Arch-Inquisitor says, "That would be one possibility. The other is that a 'boomer' detonated on a sky island might not have any discernable effect at all, other than a small explosion caused by the actual physical reaction in the device. That may be what the Nagai are counting on by keeping this device on a sky island, rather than moving it about in airships in secret. We, however, cannot be so confident in such theories. We, after all, do not have another boomer to test … and the consequences of failure would seem formidable."

"You see," says the unicorn, "it is also believed that the sky islands themselves may serve some sort of purpose unknown to us. Since we have gone so long without Fetiss Sky Island, perhaps its loss would not cause a great catastrophe. But, again, we do not know."

Frowning, Envoy says, "These boomers are weapons. At Sky Island altitude, they may still cause considerable damage, especially if they employ fission byproducts. They could poison a wide area with fallout."

The unicorn nods. "Risks we are unwilling to take. What little we were able to learn from the Exile that brought this weapon to Sinai teaches us that this phenomenon of switching pieces of worlds around was not the intended effect. What is more, we cannot be certain that dropping the 'boomer' would give us another Red Cliff. What if it were to swap a section of Sinai with a section of the vacuum of space? Or perhaps the waters of Ashtoreth? Or maybe part of Primus itself?"

Envoy speculates, "It would depend on the path of lowest energy, I think. The translocation may have been a side effect of Sinai's own defensive system, a way of shunting the energy of the explosion. It could even depend on how far the detonation is from the veins of crystal."

"Sifran crystal can be broken; the Gateway Tower shows that," the Exile says. "And the crystal in sky islands probably serves a different function than that in the planetary crust. If it boomer goes off on a sky island, it might actually destroy it."

The unicorn nods. "And that, it is widely believed, might have catastrophic consequences. Although it has not happened in recent history, there are records of catastrophes – large explosions and the like – that involved sky islands. In each case, there is reason to believe that some sort of damage may have been done to a sky island – though none has been destroyed outright. In each case, there were reports of strange phenomena on the surface, typically connected with Forbidden Zones."

Envoy asks, "Have you considered disposing of the boomer in a Forbidden Zone, like Bosch?"

"That has indeed been proposed, and there are those in Chronotopia who have even advocated it. The theory is that things simply couldn't get any worse in Bosch. Again, we are left with no safe way of testing the outcome of such an action," says the unicorn.

"I guess the ideal solution would be for the boomer to just vanish," Envoy says. "I can't think of any way to do that, but in any case you need to know where it is first. I can try to contact Morpheus, and ask if it's possible to locate Exile artifacts. If he tells me there is a way to do it, should I seek further information or contact you first?"

The Arch-Inquisitor says, "So long as you are not beholden to this 'Morpheus' for any information you gain, I see no harm in finding out whatever you can from him. But I wish to be updated as soon as you find any information. While I think that your proposal is hazardous and quite likely could cause more trouble … it is still a bold initiative, and one which might be worth looking into, should this war go badly against Rephidim … or if further complications arise. I shall, therefore, present my report to my superiors on this matter with all haste."

Envoy nods. "I will focus only on locating the boomer, sir, for now."

The unicorn nods. "Very good. Is there any assistance you require from the Temple in your attempt to contact this 'Morpheus'?"

"Do you have a Dream Mage handy?" Envoy asks. "I could ask another Apprentice to help, but due to the sensitive nature of this, I think a military Dream Mage would be best. Or I can try to contact him on my own."

The unicorn nods again. "I would think it best to have a more experienced mage assisting you, in the case of mishap. I believe I can see to such arrangements."

"I'll await your word then," the Exile says, standing up.

"Will that be all for now?" asks the unicorn.

Envoy nods, "Well, I also wanted to thank you for… ," the Exile pauses, then concludes with, "your continued faith in me."

"You are quite mature for your age, Apprentice Envoy of Lothrhyn," says the unicorn, "and you show considerable promise. Despite some early … unpleasantries … you are proving to be a shining example for Exiles."

Envoy smiles proudly, even though there aren't many other Exiles left that she's aware of.

"Now then," says the unicorn, putting away the map of Himar, "I will see to it that you are contacted as soon as we can make arrangements with a trustworthy Dream Mage. If at all possible, I will see to it that we have a second, as additional insurance."

Envoy nods again, "I'll be waiting back at the Dorm of Earth then, sir."

The unicorn nods, then pulls on a chain. There's a pause, and then the door cycles open.

The Apprentice bows and steps outside.