I offer you greetings, my shining one. We Arilou are so pleased to behold you again! You surpass our greatest expectations. We are very proud of how far you have come since we defeated the Hierarchy of Battle Thralls together recently.
Or so long ago, depending on your proximity to *time*. But it was a glorious victory, and one that becomes you so. And now behold: you have a new Precursor vessel at your command. Our vested interests in your development have been richly rewarded.
We are well pleased, my bright and shining one. Your achievements glow, but your potential shines.
Have I offended you? How can I appease you? Do not be hurt. I am feeling only pride for you. Do you understand now?
The human mind is so direct. Although such behavior might be viewed as impolite from a more mature race, a younger race like yours must be accorded a wide latitude.
Your kind is so short-lived that, in order to accomplish anything, you must get to the heart of the matter immediately, lest you die before you see the task completed.
We are many places, at many *times*. This place is an easy place... one of the ten easy places. At different times, we explore different easy places, and places in between. That is our way.
Oh! I can see from the look in your eyes that I have confused you again. I am silly. Please disregard my words.
Forgive us if we forget the importance you attach to such events as this. Our... context, is infinitely broader than yours in scope, both in space and *time*. Nevertheless, to please you I shall try to recall.
Yes, now I remember. The Arilou were where we always are. You simply didn't look in the right place. Or, perhaps, in the right *time*.
Then, you did not need us, so we did not come. Now, you do need us, so we are here.
You judge us by standards far below our purpose. Understand that we have never taken our protective gaze from you. We routinely visit Unzervalt, the world of your birth, and there we watched you create a new Precursor vessel. Our assistance is ever with you and the human race.
We Arilou visit many planets.
Our ships move between our home and TrueSpace through weaknesses in the interdimensional fabric. We generate these Portals artificially with focused dimensional fatigue rays.
We gave you such a Portal Spawner for your battle against the Ur-Quan Hierarchy. We were so pleased to help guide our shining ward to victory.
Though you clearly do not need such a thing now. Your Warp Bubble engines convey you through TrueSpace with ease.
No! No! You mustn't use such technology again! We gave you a Portal Spawner so that you could defeat the Hierarchy. Our gift was necessary, despite the dangers.
Without our gifts and guidance, the Hierarchy would have been victorious, leading to greater catastrophes for your beautiful, unspoiled race. Now, events beyond your understanding dictate that we restrain you from further use of the device. You must trust us.
You desire honesty and that is what I offer. You ask for illumination, but I cannot offer that. Such illumination would be too bright for your mind. Understand that the Portal Spawner has served its purpose. The Hierarchy was defeated. Your unspoiled people are safe.
You humans must learn patience. Always instinct, instinct, instinct! We admire instinct, though we possess none ourselves.
We do not seek blind trust. Although the answers are so bright they would blind your developing mind. No, we prefer child-like trust to blind trust.
Humans are so like our children that we must be careful with our wisdom, lest we lead you astray. We have much hope for you, but you must understand your limits.
You are angered? Embarrassed? We look upon your deeds with pride. What are you if not the embodiment of the best qualities of your race? We hope that you do not begrudge us our pride, knowing our efforts helped to bring about your accomplishments.
Ask me what you will, my shining one.
Recent events have caused the universe to lose some of that stability, at least, locally. More I cannot say at the present.
Your curiosity is understandable, even heartening, but to explain the origins of the Arilou would require a common language for wonders such as *time* that you have too limited a frame of reference to comprehend.
Even your translation devices cannot convey them to you. Though it fills me with sadness to do such a thing, I must refuse your request.
Perhaps, one day, your descendants will be ready to hear our story. I make you this promise: I will follow your line and explain our existence to the first child that is born with the capability of understanding.
We are not from your space, or your... *time*. We are from realms that you only understand in theory. We take little interest in TrueSpace, except when we discovered your race.
We have known your kind from the very start. We call ourselves the Arilou Lalee'lay, from the name given to us by an ancient earth culture.
We are drawn to the great potential of your race. We have protected and guided and molded your race from the beginning. When humankind reached the stars, and joined the Alliance of Free Stars, we had to reveal ourselves, for your safety.
After the Ur-Quan enclosed Earth in a slave shield, it was clear that your people would now be safe without us. We decided to return to our nook in *time*.
But then you appeared: a human child born on Unzervalt, commandeering a Precursor vessel, and challenging the full might of the Ur-Quan. We knew that humans needed us again, and we returned. Just as we return now.
Never doubt our motives, Captain. Your well-being is of paramount concern to every Arilou.
We returned to assist you then, and with our guidance, the Ur-Quan were beaten. With the threat passed, you did not need our direct intervention. We pursued... other matters.
After the collapse of HyperSpace, we knew you would need our help again and here we are.
I do not "speak", my child, but it is a natural mistake to make. But once the thought blossoms on the Arilou mind, it shakes loose many seeds, which carry on the solar winds.
If they should float past a psyche that is fertile with sentience, they can take root and grow. You humans still express your thoughts through cumbersome vocal gyrations. But you are such a fresh and vigorous race, that seeing the exertion of speech is becoming to you.
Hearing your speech evokes rich memories. But your species shatters old limitations quickly, do you not? Deeper capacities are flowering in your species, as reflected by humans with... what crude term do you apply to them? Psi ratings?
Perhaps one day you will have children or grandchildren with these capacities.
When you need us, the Arilou will find you.
You shall have it. The Supox are in danger, my child. You may find them in the realm beyond QuasiSpace Portal M. I will now transmit those coordinates to your ship.
As much as we would like to accompany you--to share in your accomplishments--this cannot be. We are... otherwise engaged at present.
The Arilou hope to influence events through you with our advice. More we cannot offer, but our words should suffice.
Such matters as *time* are not so simple as they seem from your perspective.
You may find the answers at the QuasiSpace portal. The Orz are more a danger than endangered.
The Orz are dimensional travelers, but are not like the Arilou. They are a projection into this realm from... elsewhere.
The Orz are... Orz. But I see I have confused you. Know that there are parasites. Creatures who dwell Beyond. They are blind to your presence... unless you reveal yourself.
In your home quadrant the Androsynth experimented with Dimensional Fatigue Phenomena, and accidentally revealed themselves. There are no more Androsynth now. Only Orz. I can say no more. But watch the Orz carefully.
I wish you good fortune, shining one. We shall meet again.
Your trust is promising.
Although the impetus that drives us to meet with you is rooted in sadness, I am glad for the opportunity to speak with you again. Just seeing you fills me with happiness.
The Utwig are advanced beings, shining one, but they are paralyzed by the loss of their Ultron. You must find it and return it to them.
Why, yes! I have come to discuss the Ultron with you. Have you attuned yourself to the flow of *time*? How can this be?
Ah, I forget how startlingly intuitive humans can be. Back to the subject at hand.
We are startled. Perhaps more experiments are in order. But back to the subject at hand.
Patience, my child. You must know the problem before you learn how to solve it.
The Utwig have become very dependent upon the Ultron. Can you imagine holding your god in your hands, and then having It wrested from you?
No. The Ultron was stolen. We do not know by whom.
We cannot detect the location of the Ultron, but there exists a race that can: the Pkunk. The Ultron continuously emanates psychic waves that the Pkunk can detect.
The Pkunk must be... guided to meditate on the Ultron.
You humans are so refreshingly direct. This is one of the reasons we chose you. This is why we have managed the development of humankind. We have faith in you, my child. May you fare well.
From the dawn of humankind, we have been there to nurture you. You have painted our pictures on cave walls, told tales about our mysterious exploits, erected standing stones and pyramids for us.
We have tested your species to understand your development, and brought you to the pinnacle of instinct and reason that you are today! But I must tread carefully. You are not ready for everything and I fear that you would not understand.
To call our interactions with your kind merely "experiments" would be much too simple. Let us just say that we have a vested interest in your development.
You are one of our... extended family, just as other sentients in other dimensions have their extended families. We are proud of you as you would be of your children, and some day... Well, I have said too much already.
We saw potential in your race that spoke of greatness, and we wanted to take - we wanted to give you the chance to meet that potential!
Well, you can't argue with the results, can you. I mean, just LOOK at you! You are superb! You are a pinnacle of accomplishment. My child, the galaxy is full of dangers, as you have seen.
Without a wise race to act as careful caretaker, you would succumb to these crafty and hidden dangers.
You are very wise, child. To speak more of this would put your entire race at risk. Knowing too much too soon is as dangerous as knowing too little.
I wish you much speed and wisdom. Do not let your doubts and misgivings cloud your reason. The Arilou only wish to aid and protect you.
I am very happy to see you again.
You show compassion and protective instincts. Those are promising qualities. But the Supox matter is far behind us. We have different interests now.
Only the Supox on the Supox colony vessel are dead. The remainder of the Supox live on back in your home quadrant, in blissful ignorance of the fate of their fellow colonists.
All I will say is that you risk much by trusting the Orz. I have other matters to impart.
I am admiring your human abruptness and directness. I take great satisfaction in observing your development. Ah. Now, then. You have confronted the enigmatic Exquivan, have you not?
The Exquivan are essential to your progress. Find them.
Go to the Exquivan homeworld at Anshar 3, shining one. Do not fight them; reason with them. The Exquivan misunderstand your motives. Once their leaders have listened to you, the others will follow.
We have recently discovered the location of this planet and I am transmitting its coordinates to you.
You make the pride I hold for you swell and grow, little one. The flow of events shall be made right by your actions.
Ah... Well. That is most... interesting. You accomplished that rather... quickly.
I must go now. Ah... farewell.
They... think differently than you, my child. I doubt I could help you understand them, and why they do what they do.
The Exquivan are a very advanced race. They hold fast to their own convictions about the Precursor sites. Force is not the answer. You must reason with them.
How can I say this in a manner you will understand? Your instincts tell you to clash with them. But you must be subtle. Those raw instincts appeal to the Arilou, for we have no instinct. But sometimes pure instinct can betray you. Deny your instincts for a time.
You stare at the core of truth, but ignore everything around it. Once the Exquivan have been set in motion, they cannot be stopped. Instead, you must change their direction.
I am greeting you again with much enthusiasm. Each meeting strengthens the Human-Arilou bond.
You are showing vigorous independence. This is good! But you should not shun the much-needed help that we proffer. Do not mistake your deserved self-confidence with unrealistic self-reliance.
Your pleasant offering invokes memories of quaffing ale with many a timorous peasant or terrified trailer park denizen. Ah, such memories...
At this juncture, another ally is ripe for recruitment. With their lives on the line, the Vyro-Ingo may join you.
These qualities also make the Vyro-Ingo very unpopular with the Crux. The Crux's frustration with this race has reached a fever pitch. Now is the time for a more civilized race that can suppress its aggressive instinct to approach and maneuver the Vyro-Ingo into an alliance.
The Vyro-Ingo's anger arises from a misunderstanding. Remember, the Crux is not above deception. Perhaps you should speak again to the volatile Vyro-Ingo, ignore their insults, and discover the cause of their animosity.
Though your instincts make you so appealing to us, I must counsel that you act otherwise. Do not attack them. Be subtle and teach your Crux foe the consequences of their deceit.
The Arilou shall remain your guides so that the hardships do not engulf you. You can rely upon us.
I extend warmest greetings, shining one. We stand together on the brink of darkness. Such darkness calls for illumination.
Our knowledge transcends reality perimeters, but this we can share with you. There are extra-dimensional beings that live Beyond. Outside of TrueSpace. Outside of QuasiSpace. They lurk out of sight. You know them as the Eternal Ones.
They silently watch and wait for galaxies to develop sentient races in profusion. They then feast on the sentience in that galaxy. The manner of their feasting wounds *time*.
The natural stresses and strains of the time-space continuum produces natural interdimensional fatigue, which sometimes results in QuasiSpace Portals.
But living beings can create unnatural interdimensional fatigue, which is the enemy of all living things, for it can collapse an entire star system in the twinkling of an eye.
Living beings like you.
For millennia the many sentient races made extensive use of HyperSpace travel. But HyperSpace Travel causes perturbations in the fabric of space, and can eventually destabilize *time*.
The Portal Spawner does much the same thing as the Eternal Ones' attack; it rips unnatural holes in space. You once needed the Spawner to ensure the survival of the human race.
But now it is best that you do not have it any longer. Your new Warp Bubble transport is far safer.
Well. You would not understand. We do what is best for you, always remember that.
I do not have much time. Please listen.
To feed, the Eternal Ones tear holes throughout *time*. They have done this often, and now the bindings that hold reality together begin to fail.
The loss of HyperSpace travel is the first result. The loss of stars is the next result. The quadrant itself might collapse. And the galaxy.
We can save you. We can save all humans by whisking you to safety on a great ark. We can take you to a *time* where you and your fellow humans will be safe forever.
We can only save one race. Be glad we have chosen yours.
Then humans may be obliterated with the rest!
You may feel differently when the Eternal Ones arrive. Goodbye!
You carry our hope in your hands, shining one. Do not despair. For your race shall endure!
It is time, shining one. Time to flee. They are coming. We tried to warn you about the Orz, but now it is too late. We must go.
Wonderful. We will leave now. We are now engulfing your ship in waves that will weaken the interdimensional passages. You will be so happy with us. We will ensure it.
You shall be our living DNA donor. Pity you must be sedated the whole time. But your genes will live on. In us.
They are beyond help. We can only save one!
You must!
It is not right that you know. You are not ready. My child...
Please understand. Races evolve and develop, and seek to maximize their potential. But sometimes races become very advanced, they control too many of the variables in their lives.
They cease to develop. And sometimes their genes require fresh infusions. From fresh races bursting with instinct.
Don't you understand why we did these things? Your race could hold the key to correcting a horrible genetic flaw in the Arilou. It was necessary to forge a relationship with you.
You should feel pride. Humans are special, perhaps MORE than your beloved Precursors. We wanted to be part of that, and protect you from afar. Protect you in ways that would not stifle the flowering of your astonishing DNA.
We were as kind as we could be in our experiments. We erased the painful memories when we could, smudged them when we could not. Perhaps we treated you too much like beasts...
That is true, to our shame. But our work was necessary; it remains necessary. I retain the hope that humans and Arilou can work together to solve our problem. What remains of our relationship?
This must be up to you. YOU must define our relationship into the future. What would you have of us?
I am sad. Your instincts rule your actions, but I do not blame you. I shall alert the other Arilou. But we can still rescue you from the Eternal Ones, if you come with us now.
Very well. We shall leave. We hope you succeed, but the galaxy is doomed.
Your fairness and strength are impressive. The Arilou would be proud to ally with you. We shall help where we can. We hope that you will find it possible to help us as well.
As you wish. The Arilou have a storehouse of knowledge to impart and, under our wing, you will realize your greatest potential. You have made a good decision, my child! The Arilou have great plans for you.
We wish to leave before the arrival of the Eternal Ones.
Goodbye, shining one.
If your device can harvest our advanced form of sentience, you may. Ah. I see that it does. Well. We are gratified to contribute!
Farewell! May you- may WE triumph!
Farewell, Human. I feel an unfamiliar sensation... fear? No. Exhilaration!
I greet you again, shining one, my arms outstretched and my heart bursting with pride. You have performed admirably! I feel an exhilaration that amazes me. It feels much like... instinct!
