Don’t you hate it when you have those sexy dreams and then wake up to find out that you’re in a hospital bed with a sentient Star Sapphire Power Ring mentally poking at you to wake up.

Okay, well I can see where a lot of people can’t identify with my life that well. But that’s how it is.

“What!”

“You were projecting your dreams at me, Jade. I thought it best not to delve into your subconscious where Lantern Natu is concerned.”

“Oh,” I leaned back on the mattress. “Sorry. Yeah, I appreciate that. No need to make those dreams public record.”

Reaching up, I rubbed at my eyes. “Why am I still here?”

“Lantern Natu wanted you kept for observation. The new accessory on your right arm has caused quite the stir, but I find it rather comfortable. Since fitting myself onto your new middle finger, I have yet to experience any drain of charge. This increases my processing level tremendously.”

I grabbed the rail and pulled myself up. “I’m glad you’re taking my dismemberment so well. Speaking of which, how’s Sharon?”

“Sapphire Agathon has had her original hand replaced and is doing well. She should be able to resume her duties by the end of the week.”

“Uniform, please. And can you fix me up? I probably look a mess.”

“Not entirely. Lantern Natu performed a thorough bed bath for you while you were asleep.”

If it weren’t for the railing I probably would have fallen out of the bed. “What? And you didn’t wake me?”

Dropping back down, I groaned.

“I was not yet notified of your arrival. However once she informed me that your previous hand would not be needed immediately I flew to your side and performed a diagnostic on your body. It showed trace residues of antibacterial cleansers…”

“I don’t need specifics, Ring.”

There was no way I was crawling over the bars, I’d wind up killing myself in the process, but I couldn’t reach the release underneath the bed, so I floated myself off and made sure everything was where it was supposed to be… well, minus my hand of course. However, being covered by the uniform glove, it didn’t look any different than my old hand.

“Could you pull back the glove for a minute, Ring?”

It disappeared entirely so that I could take a look at what had been done to me. Holding it up to the light was surreal. I could see a swirl of color through my hand. Upon closer inspection I could make out little wrinkles where they were before on my knuckles, and I still had lines on my palms and finger prints. It was like my hand merely switched to a different material.

The crystal was completely solid until the midway point of my forearm and then it started thinning out, like it was merged with the flesh.

“Is this the same stuff as out there, Ring?”

“My scans show that the materials are very similar. Your new hand is much harder. You have no need to be gentle with it for fear of chipping or cracking the crystal. Though if that were to happen, I’m quite certain that you would be able to repair it through the Sapphire gem in your tiara.”

Seeing a sink and a medium-sized mirror near the corner, I went to splash some water on my face.

“Before you do that, Jade, there is something I think you should be aware of.”

That didn’t sound good. “Is my hair purple or something?”

“Your injuries, actually. It’s rather difficult to explain since neither Lantern Natu nor I have a clue as to how it occurred.”

Patting myself down, I didn’t feel anything wrong. “I didn’t get injured other than a few bumps and bruises.”

“Your neck bore evidence that you were forced to wear a collar of sorts. Then there were the similar scrapes on your wrists and ankles.”

“Right. Yeah, I was chained up. A few scratches aren’t going to kill me, I’ve had worse.” I didn’t wait any longer and stepped in front of the mirror. “Oh…”

I swallowed and stretched my neck to the side. Where there should have been friction burns and scratches were little flecks of violet crystal. It was like someone threw some glitter at me and it stuck on my skin wrong and actually clumped up in certain places.

“Oh God, I’m not going to turn into some creepy walking crystal am I?”

“No. Or I should say the odds are very slim as long as you don’t keep getting your limbs amputated. In effect, your wounds have scabbed over. The minute crystals that have formed should flake off after your wounds have healed.”

“Why are they this color?”

There was a noticeable pause before Ring answered me. “That is something that we are unsure about, however I have a few theories.”

I went ahead and washed my face even though my eyes kept tracking to the sparkles at my neck while Ring went through the possibilities.

“The most likely explanation is that during your escape you channeled a tremendous amount of energy through the Sapphire jewel and subsequently through your body. The result was the transformation of your red blood cells to violet crystal cells which are somehow serving the same function as their red counterparts.”

I frowned into the mirror. “Are you saying I have purple blood?”

“Violet, though when it’s not highly oxygenated it could appear purple. I hadn’t really thought of that.”

“Yeah, whatever. So is this going to go away?”

“Considering the appearance of your new hand, I’d say the odds are exceedingly low as to not be worth mentioning.”

Considering how much violet I was already wearing, the glitter looked ridiculous. “Can you give me a turtleneck or something so I don’t…”

A piece of fabric stretched from the uniform to encircle my neck just enough to cover where the collar was, but she still left my front open. It looked silly. The glove reappeared and I looked almost normal.

“Okay, I’ve got purple blood, a freaky crystal hand, slept through a sponge-bath by the girl I’ve been mooning over, and there are probably a thousand things for me to do today.” Closing my eyes, I craned my neck until I heard it pop. “That about all the bad news for this morning?”

“Did I mention the Guardians wish an audience whenever you are able?”

“No.”

“That should be it for now.”

Looking at the door, I sucked in a breath and let it go. “Let’s hit it.”

~O~

Suu Lawquane was increasing her pace to keep up with me and Lyja was following up the rear. “Jade, Lantern Natu wanted you to stay in bed until the test results came back for your…”

I made the glove fade away and waved it at her. “My freaky purple hand?”

Her eyes widened to comic proportions. I guessed that it was the first time she had seen it. “It’s fine. I have things to do and they really can’t wait. Every minute I’m in bed, something else comes up, and until we’re at full strength in the Corps, I can’t afford to stand by and wait for test results.”

When she didn’t say anything, I exited the Infirmary and stepped foot on the surface of Zamaron once more. In the distance, I could see Guy with the Sapphire contingent, going through his drill sergeant routine. There was no sight of Sora’nik and until she got her results back, I really didn’t want to see her all that bad.

Okay, I admit it. I really didn’t want to see what she found out. I was alive, I felt relatively healthy considering what I’d been through over the last few days. “We’re going to Oa. Who’s taking Sharon’s place while she’s recuperating?”

“Sapphire Bleet,” Suu said.

That made me stop. “Bleet? Tell me he or she isn’t a sheep.”

“He is not a sheep.”

I waited for an explanation and Suu looked at me oddly. “Is there something else you would like me to repeat, Jade?”

Running my tongue along the inside of my cheek, I sighed. “Ring, is there something we can do about the translation matrix so that it can recognize literal from figurative speech?”

“I’ll work on it Jade.”

“Great, in the meantime, could you update me on this Bleet person?”

Before she had a chance to respond a chipmunk wearing a Star Sapphire uniform zipped up and floated in front of me nearly vibrating with energy and not of the violet kind.

“Queen Jade!” He bowed in the air. “It’s an honor. Are we off to vanquish the evil that is the Sinestro Corps or perhaps to save a love soon to be lost to the ravages of hate? I am ready to serve my queen!”

Now, that’s how it was supposed to be heard. What it actually sounded like was one really big word with a lot of syllables.

Once I deciphered it I looked back at Suu and Lyja. Yep, it was my new bodyguard… a chipmunk.

Not entirely. Bleet comes from the planet Hl'ven in Sector 1014. While there are similarities between the species, the Hl’venites are an egg laying people and are strictly carnivores, not to mention savage warriors.

“He’s a savage…?”

Warrior, yes.

“We’re heading to Oa, Bleet.”

His mouth pulled back to display two serious looking fangs where chipmunks normally had their buckteeth. Okay, I could believe that he was a carnivore.

“Ah! The Green Lanterns have shown their true colors. To War!”

I held up my hands. “Bleet, stop. We’re going because the Guardians wanted to talk to me. No war. No fighting, hopefully.”

His little chipmunk shoulders drooped. “No fighting?”

“No, just talking.”

I was already counting the days until Sharon’s return.

Sarl landed and eyed the new guard. “Sapphire Bleet, do not pester the queen with your warmongering. Take your position.”

The despondent chipmunk warrior floated to the back of the guard and Sarl waited until he was in his place. “My apologies, Jade. He’s eager, but his race is known the universe over for their speed and fighting ability.”

I just wasn’t buying it. “Really?”

“Truly. If we had more of them in the Corps then I would never fear for your safety.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Jade, you should know that Lantern Natu is in route to the Infirmary.”

“We got to go guys. Hurry, before she finds out I’m still on the planet.”

~O~

Apparently the Guardians were busy little bees and we had to wait for an hour before being seen.

When we finally entered, my guards stayed back by the doors. I figured if we were safe anywhere then this would be the place. Considering what had happened only a short time ago I couldn’t see the Guardians being lax on security, at least until they got their new chambers built.

“What do you have to report?” one of the head guys in the center asked.

“Report? Nothing. You’re the one that requested to see me. What do you have to report?”

He didn’t seem to see the humor in the situation. Maybe I should have taken Guy’s advice and opened with a short person joke.

The one in the middle, who seemed to be the one in charge the last time I was there, looked at his colleague for a moment. “Star Sapphire Jade, we were under the impression that you have done battle with the Sinestro Corps recently.”

“Oh, yeah… yesterday. I got kidnapped. Messy business.”

“You are well?”

I shrugged. “For the most part. Lingering issues to deal with.”

He paused. It was my goal by month’s end to pull some sort of emotion out of the little blue guys. I thought I’d start with exasperation.

He cleared his throat. “Would you mind sharing your experiences with us? Any information could be valuable in the fight with the Yellow Lanterns.”

I looked up at the ceiling like I was thinking intensely, but not comically overdoing it. “Well, you might start by rounding up the ones that are roaming the universe. I’ve dealt with Qward, Lyssa Drak, a couple dozen Yellows and Sinestro himself already. I figured you guys would want dibs on the rest.”

“Preposterous!” That was said by the same presumptuous guy on the right as last time. “Are you implying that Sinestro, who has troubled the Green Lantern Corps for the last eighteen years, was dealt with by a former cadet that hasn’t even been trained yet?”

“That would be me. Ring, do the memory thing and replay from the Fear Lodge until I left.”

“Acknowledged.”

The lights dropped and a holo-image appeared in the center of the council chambers, about five times larger than the original. It was almost like being in a 3-D movie except it was my life.

Starting at the blackness from the inside of the clamshell, the scene appeared from my point of view. The picture was a little fuzzy.

Pulling the memories of your experience directly from your brain isn’t the same as a replay from my files.

I had the urge to yell “Focus!” but I kept myself from being a complete ass, mainly because I was enjoying the movie.

When the part came where I pulled away from the planet and we got the full show then it cut off.

The guy left of middle looked down at me with something on his face that made think, impressed.

“The image wasn’t as clear as it should have been. Should I assume you did not possess your Power Ring?”

I nodded. “Yeah, my hand got cut off during the trap-springing portion of the show.”

A whole new Guardian asked the inevitable question I’d been waiting for. “How did you accomplish that feat without your ring?”

“The power of Love, of course. I tried telling you guys last time that Love could conquer all with violet light. Was there some point where I was unclear?”

Pointing up, I looked at the still image of Qward frozen in a violet sphere.

“Everyone thinks that I’m just tooting my own horn or that I’m being philosophical or something. I’m not. This is Love, and it has conquered Qward, Sinestro and a good chunk of his lackeys.”

Turning around, I clapped my hands once, rubbing them together afterward. “Okay, where are the Ewoks?”

My guards looked at me blankly. Why does nobody get my humor?

~O~

I didn’t get very far out of the chamber doors before Ring stopped me.

Jade, the eldest of the Three requests your presence for a private meeting in his office.

“The eldest? Which one was he?”

The three most senior members of the Guardians were the ones in white robes. Appa Ali Apsa was the one on the left as you were facing them.

“The one that looked impressed with me?”

Affirmative.

“I guess the Ewoks can wait.”

“Pit stop guys. I have to see someone before we leave.”

Ring led us underground, which may explain the pale blue skin color of the Guardians, before she deposited us in front of a door that slid open to reveal a pretty posh little set up.

“Please, Jade,” Appa said. “This is not an inquiry, or a tribunal. You are in no danger here.”

I saw that he was indicating my guards.

“Can you take this guy if he tries to start something?”

Unlikely, and the rest of your guards wouldn’t be able to help either. The Eldest are the most powerful among the Guardians. As he said, you are in no danger.

“Give me a few minutes.”

Sarl didn’t seem pleased, but he relented.

The door slid closed after I entered and Appa motioned to a normal-sized chair. “Would you care for a libation?”

“No, thank you.”

I sat and crossed my legs as I looked at the interior of his office. Green was, of course, the primary color in use. What surprised me the most were the pictures on the walls. Some were of nebula, one was a star going super-nova, and all were various beautiful scenes of the many aspects of the universe.

He returned and took a seat opposite me across from a very small table with something on it that looked like sixteen level chess set, only in miniature size and about fifty or so pieces.

“Do you play?”

Shaking my head, I was boggled. “I don’t even know what it is.”

“You must return when you have the time and I shall teach you if you interested.”

I gave him a simple smile in answer. There was no use in telling him I wasn’t a big board games fan. Stratego was more my speed.

After sipping at his drink he set it aside and relaxed in his chair. “The Guardians have a reputation, well deserved, of being emotionless. It might interest you to know that this is untrue.”

Arching an eyebrow at him I crossed my hands in my lap. “Why are you telling me this?”

“We’ll reach that subject in a moment. The war with Sinestro cost us a great deal. I don’t refer to the lives lost or the chaos that his fear mongers running roughshod through the universe produce on a daily basis, though that is tragic indeed.”

He paused for a moment, letting me take in what he was saying.

“No, I speak of the long term consequences of removing my Green Lanterns from Earth for so long.”

His word choice was starting to make me wonder about things. My Green Lanterns?

“It has been certified a fact, by the Guardians, seeing as we are the oldest living species in existence, that Oa is the center of the universe. All the galaxies and all the spacefaring worlds in those galaxies look to this planet and its Green Lanterns to keep the peace, to keep order in all ways.”

I licked my lips. “What’s this have to do with Earth?”

Appa sipped at his drink again before setting it back down.

“I’ve been watching you, Jaden Cross, since the moment I sent Hal Jordan back to his home, dying of an incurable malady.”

“I told you there was someone perving on me, Ring.”

This I didn’t know. I thought Lantern Jordan returned of his own accord.

“You don’t know because I purged it from your files,” said Appa.

My eyes darted to his. The brief talk I had with my ring was mental, not out loud. “No secrets on my side of the conversation, I guess.”

“Sorry, it’s an old habit. I have a phobia, a fear of not knowing everything there is to know. But we are straying off topic.”

“Earth,” I said.

“Just so. You see, for the last 3500 years, give or take a few years, there has been at least two Green Lanterns on Earth, oh maybe not entirely human, but they were there, protecting something.”

I leaned forward and uncrossed my legs. “Are we getting to the point anytime soon? I feel like I’m being monologued to, and you found out what happened to Sinestro the last time he did that.”

Appa raised his hands slightly. “Oh, I’m not the villain in this story, my dear Miss Cross. That would be you.”

I blinked. “What?”

“I’m not speaking in the strictest sense, not an evil villain, but an unknowing dupe. You see when the war started, I tried to keep Earth’s Lanterns on that planet, but with the other Guardians diligently doing their job, it became an impossible task. Eventually they left to join their comrades in arms against the evil of Sinestro.”

He finished his drink and got up to pour another. “Are you sure I can interest you in a taste?”

“What were the John and Kyle hiding on Earth?”

“Chaos, Miss Cross, pure unbridled, uncontrollable chaos, unknowingly, to be sure. Chaos that will be the undoing of the universe, eventually. ” He sighed and remained standing as he began to pace the office pausing at each picture to admire it, I suppose.

“You see, the rarity of the Metagene isn’t known solely on Earth, there are several planets that produce similar effects in their own populations. What makes Earth different from all the others is the multiverse.”

He held up a finger before I even asked the question.

“The multiverse is the set of multiple possible universes, including ours, that together comprise everything that exists: the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy as well as the physical laws and constants that describe them. Imagine, if you will, a moment in time where it wasn’t the Green Lantern ring that found you, but a Red.”

Appa turned and looked at me with interest. “I’ve seen that Jaden Cross, who found his parents and friends all dead at a birthday party they held for him. A gas leak that wasn’t repaired properly the day before was responsible. When your alternate version found out, he raged. His life was ruined forever changed because the technician that performed the faulty repair had a virus of some type and didn’t call in to work. This in turn caused him to imbibe a store bought remedy that made him drowsy and incompetent.”

“Are you making this stuff up as you go along?” I stood and crossed my arms. “I think you’ve been sipping a little too much at that bottle.”

“Ring,” he said. “Access my personal files, Cross, Jaden, 2814. Code 2840384.”

“Jade?”

“Do it.”

“Display time index 1432 and play,” he said with finality.

The scene before me was familiar. I was stepping off the bus I normally took home when I was still in High School. My house was only a block away and I was in a hurry. The time and date on my watch was my birthday and I remembered my parents threw me a party on that day.

What was different was the smoke in the distance and the fire trucks that were in front of my house, and me falling down on the sidewalk in front, screaming.

“Ring, forward to time index 1705 two days from then,” Appa said.

The police station where I was being briefed. I didn’t remember this because it never happened to me. There was someone there, in a plumber’s coverall. The projected me lost it and started screaming at him, his face… my face… red with rage and grief.

The only thing I heard was the sound of a power ring in my ears. “Jaden Cross of Sector 2814. You have great anger in your heart.”

The hologram went red, flashes of blood and screams, the feel of retribution and satisfaction… and the need for more.

“Stop… stop it!”

I covered my eyes and backed away.

It has ended, Jade.

I found myself by the door, punching at the button that was supposed to make it open.

“Wait.”

Turning around I pointed at him. “No more. You want to show horror films then rent a theater.”

One of his hands was open and the other holding his glass, but both arms were held out. “This has already happened, in the past, in one of an infinite alternate timelines. You’re missing the point.”

“Then get to it and quit jerking me around,” I snapped.

“Earth is the center of the Multiverse, this Earth, at this time. It is not Oa that seeded the races of the universe, Jade. It was Earth.”

I wanted to knock that glass he kept drinking from out of his hand. “So what?”

“Come, sit. This is not a short story.”

“I’ll stand. Make it short.”

He sighed and looked thoughtful for a few moments. “The Lanterns presence on Earth was keeping a secret bound by their mere presence. They could be gone for weeks at a time tending to their duties, as long as they returned regularly.

“But with the war going on and their presence missing for so long I needed a Lantern there. Hal Jordan was dying so I though it the perfect opportunity to send him home. Only he returned to his place behind your moon. That wasn’t enough. Eventually he wasted away and died.”

“Shorter,” I snapped.

“I thought you would be enough, once the ring chose you, I made sure that that nobody was sent to retrieve you for training. I was hopeful that you would be enough, but you weren’t. And you even went a step further and revealed your presence to Earth’s inhabitants ensuring acceptance of the new metahumans.”

“Again, so what? Appa, I’m running short on patience here.”

He pursed his lips. “In the past, these anomalies would be hunted down and killed as they showed their powers. You’ve seen them throughout your history but attributed their powers to merely exceptional humans or to the religious or mystical. But you, Jade, you encouraged them and their acceptance. In doing so you are tearing apart the fabric of the multiverse itself.”

I blinked. “What?”

“Have you not wondered why it seemed that metahumans are emerging at an almost expediential rate?” He paused and looked at my ring. “Ring access my personal files Earth 2814, code 2734057, display.”

A map of the Earth showed and crossing all over the globe were lines, everywhere. “Do you see these intersections here; the larger ones where several lines cross. Recognize the cities?”

New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Las Vegas, Houston, London, Southern Mississippi, Central Kansas, it was where the majority of the metas were shooting up like weeds.

“Yes, I see you do.”

Stepping forward, I held my hand out to touch the image. “What is this?”

“The end of the universe, unless you put a stop to it.”

~O~

He had my attention. I sat down. Here it was, my worst nightmare: that somehow a former carwash keyholder would be responsible for the fate of the universe. I didn’t kid myself in thinking that I was this highly intelligent powerful being. Having superpowers gifted by the ring let me help out, but that was about it.

“Okay,” I said with a toned down voice. “Back up a little to the fabric tearing apart portion.”

“There isn’t an actual fabric. It is simply a metaphor. Throughout the universe, there are weak points between one or two dimensions. Through these nexus points, if you possess the knowledge and means, you may move from one to the other. On Earth, there are thousands.”

“That many?” I said.

“Each time one of them is accessed through the presence and activation of the metagene, the area becomes increasingly larger. In the past there was enough time for the wound in the fabric to heal as only a handful of metahuman existed at any one time. But now there are too many. Those cities you recognized, are there not several metahumans?”

Leaning forward, I palmed my face.

“This is where they attain their powers, through an extra-dimensional source. There are those that once believed that magic is responsible, or that some of those that deem themselves gods are responsible. I am not of that belief.”

I looked up at him. “There are others that know about this?”

“I am the last. The knowledge that the entirety of the universe hinges on the existence of one backward planet is not a concept that goes over well at tea parties for the average intellectual. Given this knowledge would you not consider the existence of such a place a danger?”

It finally came to me why he was telling me all this, but I wanted to hear it from his thin pale-blue lips.

“I have no desire to exterminate the population of Earth, Jade. They serve a purpose just as all the other species out there, but the progression of metahumans accessing the nexus, must cease. Once it weakens enough, it collapses. At that point, Earth will not only be the planet that seeded the universe, but it will also hold the distinction of being the planet that spills over every reality in existence. That’s a lot, by the way.”

The need to wait for an answer led me to jump the gun a little. “How long until that happens?”

He shrugged. “You’ve seen the strength of the various nexus points, over the next year they will increase geometrically. There will be no need for outside factors to influence the triggering of the metagene. Anyone that has even a hint of the gene in their DNA will become metahuman. Once that occurs…”

“Boom.”

“Indeed.”

“Guardian. You spoke of Magic and those that fashion themselves as gods. Do they not have the capability to seal these breaches?”

The look on Appa’s face was one of minor distain. “I hold faith in the physical, Ring. Magic, such as it is, represents minor minds seeking to control aspects of chaos of which they only have an inkling of understanding. No, I cannot foresee that route as a possible aid. The gods are simply beings such as me with power above and beyond those of even the metahuman level, but it is not enough.”

That didn’t sit too well with me. “I’ve seen some of the things that the more powerful of these magic users on Earth can accomplish. Have you even consulted them with your theories?”

“They are not theories any long, Jade. You must use your newfound power and do the same to Earth as you did to Qward, locking the progression of the access, or remove all beings with evidence of the metagene from Earth, or erase the metagene from existence. Those are your choices.”

There it was; his final solution.

“I don’t have that right.”

That was the first and only time I would ever hear a sitting Guardian laugh. It was then that I knew why they restricted their emotions. It was a hideous sound.

“You are at the precipice of your evolution, Jade. The Zamarons have seen to that.” He motioned to my hand. “You stand where I stood countless millennia ago, when offered a choice of remaining powerful and merely helpful or taking advantage of an offer for untold power and immortality so that you can mold the beings under your care into productive members of your society.”

He sat his empty glass aside and leaned forward on his chair. “You have a chance to be a new breed of Guardian for your people, one not based on Will alone, but of Love as well. Does your responsibility lay with the few on Earth or the hundreds of trillions of the universe?”

TBC...