And the stars look very different today...

[zunesareawesome]

It was a way out. But it wasn't home.

Truthfully, after Norfinbury, anything would be better than that place, but the cold truth was--there was no way to find his own universe out of the endless multiverse, even if Norfinbury's busted technology had worked properly. He was stuck, here, with a megalomaniac Flynn--granted, a Flynn that managed to open up a portal out of there. Maybe that's what it took to get out of Norfinbury.

Or, Peter thought sometimes on bad days, Norfinbury only released you once you became the twisted version of yourself it wanted you to be. A specially-designed virus inflicted on countless worlds.

Besides, he ought to know something about that.

He didn't stay long on earth, he couldn't. Maybe it had something to do with the mystery of how they were revived in Norfinbury, their bodies recreated or cloned or healed, or maybe it was something that was gonna happen to him anyway, but he could feel the Light burning inside him, inside his head almost as soon as he landed. A desperate need to take to the stars. He'd managed to create a ship and took off.

Time passes, and scientists notice something odd about several exoplanets they're monitoring, especially ones marked as 'earth-like' or other planets in zones that could make them potentially habitable. Bright bursts of light and changes in the composition of the atmosphere or surface, it was inexplicable. Possible evidence of intelligent life? If they didn't know any better, especially with the rocky planets that now somehow boasted extreme changes, it was like something was terraforming them.

There was cause for alarm when Mars suddenly turned blue and green a few months later.

Meanwhile, a small blue-and-orange ship that looked suspiciously like a slightly more organic-looking Milano was racing towards the earth.

Comments

[bookbrawler]

Look, if you're gonna start introducing yourself to people like, 'Hey, I'm Ezekiel Jones, Universe-saver,' we're gonna have to lay some ground rules down. Namely, don't.

[He's going to suffer, isn't he?]

...well, I mean, my mind is pretty considerable. I'm not sure if you're up for it.

[luckythief]

What are you talking about? I can't keep the truth from people! They deserve to know!

[So much suffering.]

I am absolutely up for it. Your mind may be considerable but mine is amazing and amazing totally trumps considerable.

[bookbrawler]

They don't need to know, no one needs to know, you can keep that knowledge to yourself and be happy that you did your part!

[Help.]

Oh my God, seriously? My mind is--is extremely complex and full of knowledge and you--

[There's a sigh, and a sad smile.]

...fine. Your amazing mind better do a good job in taking care of my own.

[luckythief]

But I'd be so much happier if others knew I did my part, too!

[He grins but it easily turns into something more real at the sigh.]

You bet it will.

[bookbrawler]

Is that necessary? There's other things that can make you happy!

[That sad smile doesn't falter. Flynn's going to make him forget all this, isn't he? He really doesn't want to forget any of this.]

...thanks. I...uh...I'm counting on you. [A cough, he's trying so hard to keep up the pretense that this going to end horribly.]

[luckythief]

And I can totally do those, too!

[Why limit yourself to one or the other?]

Have I ever let you down? ... If you don't remember, the answer is "no, Ezekiel, no you haven't because you are brilliant without compare and once this is done I will totally give you my stereo as a token of my gratitude".

[Do not for a second think just because you have this weird memory thing going on you are getting off the teasing hook. He looks at the screen expectantly. Come on, let him hear it.]