After a day, everything settles down. No Scientists means that it's safe. The Scientists call for every Scientist to enter the System immediately and not leave until the Thread attacks first.
"My heavens, this can't get worse. At least we can finally take a small break.", says Rain, reading the Scientists' announcement.
"I have a feeling that this war will be something bigger than the Andromeda War, and that this may turn over the leaf into the 3rd Space Era soon.", says Aeternum. "I feel like the Intelligence Network will get involved if a faction kills its members. This is slowly turning into a galactic war, and the war was announced only a day ago. But you're right. Them ceasing all Scientist activity outside the System actually lets us breathe a lot."
Everybody steps outside into Aozora. The cosmic news are playing on the big screen.
"Breaking news! The Solar Scientists have waged war against the Astral Thread! Due to their recent acquisition of Shingetsu, now known as Threadia, the UHC reporters over at Hoshinara mention that all Scientists left the planet, and are moving towards the Solar System. In other news, Almatia, the Thread's biggest ally, has called for war against the Scientists. The UHC is yet to announce anything regarding the war."
"Almatia? How come Vega or Asten didn't call?", asks Rain, taking her phone and calling Vega.
"Hello? Vega? Is Asten with you?"
"Yeah. We just finished the interview with the UHC regarding our position to enter the new war.", says Vega. "We were just about to call you."
"Alright. I wonder if we can meet at one point to discuss everything when they attack.", says Rain.
"From historical records, they're really good at stalling. They may take between one year or a thousand years to attack, depending on how easy it may be for them. Knowing the System's human lifespan of only 250 years, though… We could cook up around 5 years of stalling for now.", says Vega on the phone.
"So, we're on the low end… Alright.", says Rain. "We'll gather allies."
"I already sense a 'big war' ahead of us. Stay safe, you guys.", says Vega. The call ends, and the crew decide to just enjoy their time. "They won't do anything. Maybe try to provoke us, but we'll easily deal with that!", says Zarya. "We're strong, anyways. We defeated a memetic monster, and they haven't! Thread 1 – Scientists 0!"
Rain laughs at Zarya's comparisons, which calms her down. "Well, let's have fun in Hoshinara!"
Mailen decides that for the month, he'll build Threadia, until Zarya's birthday comes up. Aeternum decides to spend some time with Futurum and Fae, to reunite and enjoy wonderful family time before they all leave with the Thread to the next mission. Rain and Zarya stay in Aozora.
Back in the Solar System, Jala is still hiding in a small rocky planet at the end of the Kuiper Belt. She looks at the sky and sees the Scientists' ships around the big wall that has been set after the war announcement.
She tries to contact Rain but sees that all the devices got jammed.
"Damn it. No way out, huh.", murmurs Jala. She takes a look around this planet, that's as small as the Moon on Earth.
"There has to be a way out. I have to check.", says Jala. She spots an orange hole in the wall, usually used as a way to transport goods into deep space for thermal cooling. The Solar System is filled with machines, and the deep space is used to cool off things away from the heat produced by machines.
Jala spots a cargo ship entering that orange hole and sees an opportunity. She gets on her small ship and goes behind the cargo. She gets as close as possible, so as to not get noticed by security. Once past that point, she'll be free.
The cargo ship stopped. It is undergoing a check. Jala quickly hides behind the ship and sees the hole open. She throttles at full speed and breaks through.
Intense shaking fills her ship. The time dilation, and System's defense mechanisms are acting up. Jala finally gets to contact Rain.
"Rain, love. I have a small request for you. Please, if you can, make a wormhole at these coordinates, leading nearby your planet.", says Jala on the phone.
Rain doesn't hesitate and creates the wormhole with the Thread. Jala teleports to Hoshinara a few hours later.
At the time, Mailen approved several new laws in Threadia, such as free Thread travel, allowing everyone to use the Thread as their home. "The Thread can oversee a million people at once, so we are finally opening the public areas to the public, and the Party areas to our closer companions!" The Vennur family went shopping and have had an exquisite time catching up for the week.
Aeternum and Futurum then get a call on their 'Genie Device'.
"Hello there, Mr. and Mrs. Vennur. I have come to announce the 3rd generation is now invited to participate in the '2000th Intelligence Network Expo'", says a man on the phone. "This is an automatic invitation. Please check your mails for more."
Both of them check their phones and open the email.
"Subject: Two-Thousandth Intelligence Network EXPO
Hello there, dear Mr./Mrs. Vennur. As members #3456/#3396, you are hereby invited to the 2000th Intelligence Network EXPO. You will receive a special gift upon arrival. Location: Theatrical City, Astoria. Time: Month of Leaves, Day 18, 2175 2nd Space Era."
"Oh, that's exactly two months away. We can celebrate Zarya's party and get out of here. The Scientists shouldn't know our whereabouts after we part from Hoshinara.", says Futurum. Aeternum looks at her and nods his head.
After Jala teleports into Hoshinara via Rain's help by using the Thread's system and fuel, the two hug. Rain bursts into tears. "Mother… I've missed you… You survived."
Jala caresses Rain's hair and calms her down. Her deep soft voice tells her to calm down, that everyone is here.
Around 20 Solar Years (90 Universal Years) ago, on Earth, the Usen family visited an exhibition about the Thread.
"Mother, father, will you guys go on the Thread?", asks the little Rain.
"I hope to see the day you join them. The Thread is one huge spaceship. I wish we all ride the Thread until we die.", says Luvin, as he receives a business call by Julian Voss – the leader of the UHC.
"Mr. Usen. Rank 98 of the UHC. We hope your sabotage of the Scientists is going well.", says Julian.
"Yes. It is all under my hands. My little daughter, Rain, and my wife, Jala, and I will pay you a visit eventually. I just want to check something on Kephar. I am a president there, you know.", says Luvin.
"Yes. Your country, Sanydra, is engulfed by war.", says Julian.
"I am still a little mad you aren't helping those people.", says Luvin.
Julian does not say a word.
"…"
The call gets awkward. Julian then confirms he has the Thread in his hands. "Not in your hands, Julian. It's in the hands of the Universe. See you in a hundred years.", says Luvin, hanging up the call.
Luvin has never talked to Julian since. Julian doesn't even know he's dead.
"You two. You'll fly the Thread. Jala, you already know everything, so guide the little one.", says Luvin, as they finish the exhibition and later get to work on the Thread.
For 7 more years, while alive, Luvin has kept the secret of the Thread from the Scientists. They all believed the same – the Thread will be in their hands once it's out. He kept it to the grave. Not even Rain knew.
Or was that truly the case all along?
20 Solar years later, on Hoshinara…
"So, my dad was a part of the UHC… Is that why the Thread was so popular?", asks Rain, holding her dad's urn tightly across her chest.
"Yes.", says Jala. "One of the most prominent ones, yet the stealthiest one. He was extremely stealthy; the Scientists themselves didn't know who he was."
"Mom. Was dad really from Earth?", asks Rain.
Jala stays silent.
"You know how my name's Jala, right?", asks Jala, sitting down on a nearby chair.
"Yes. Jala Usen, an ex-lawyer who lived an ordinary life on Earth, of Hungarian origin, born 47 Solar years ago.", says Rain. "What does that mean about my dad?"
"You do know his name is 'Luvin', a name that is not out of Hungarian origin.", says Jala.
"Well, neither is my name. I am named after a weather cycle.", says Rain.
"His name is not from Earth.", says Jala. "Please, check the Thread's data bank."
Rain connects to the bank on her phone.
"Look at this", says Jala.
[data://entries/starma/news/2007/9/15] – OPENED.
Subject: Officials announce the birth of 500 new people in the city of Hamza.
"Good morning, citizens of Hamza. Today's birth reports list the names of 500 people born today.
NAMES
…
Usen, Luvin
…
"How did that end up here?", asks Rain.
"I just uploaded it. I saw you have the data of Starma, his home planet, so I uploaded this to the news folder.", says Jala.
"Starma… Where's that?", asks Rain, opening the map of the Milky Way.
"Sirius binary star. Starma isn't really a planet, but a research ship that is stationed on the Sirius binary system.", says Jala. "They're the Scientists' neighbors. A huge ship orbiting the star. A custom planet of sorts."
Rain looks into the ship. She finds Luvin's records, his high school archive, and his teen life. His father, Rain's grandpa, used to have a blogging website. Rain looks into his blogs.
"September 15, 2017, Second Space Era. It's finally my son's 10th birthday, and for that I want to announce something important. Me and my son, Luvin, are moving to Kephar. He has profound knowledge in politics and is a runner-up in Sanydran presidential elections. He says he could bring the Kepharian War to an end."
She keeps reading. Luvin was an insane kid back then. He had the power of an Intelligence Network member yet never joined it. Her grandpa also mentions in the blog that Luvin consumed the "Fruit of Knowledge" at 7, after his grandpa mistook it as an orange.
At 11, he became the president of Sanydra, a peaceful nation in Kephar, temporarily stopping it during his presidency.
At 12, he joined the UHC's youth group at Rank 1, and at 18, the Spy Intelligence Network at Rank 27. He got into the Scientists at 20 and achieved UHC Rank 98 at 104 Universal (28 Solar age). He speedran life and succeeded.
Rain kept reading the blog. Her grandpa, who she now confirmed is named "Leif", still posts to this day. She saw a post of him celebrating the Thread's release and saw him mourning Luvin's death.
"When did my dad die… in Universal time.."
She sees the upload date. "Month of Flowers, Day 19, 2125 SE".
"50 years. 14 Solar years.", says Rain. She tears up a little, taking Luvin's urn via the Thread's waypoint system.
Jala sees the urn, and smirks. "He was a loving husband. I'm glad he was in my life."
Rain looks at Jala. "Yet you all lied. You never told me the truth."
"Because you were unable to comprehend it all. Only after you truly attached yourself to the Thread could you know the full truth.", says Jala, patting Rain's shoulder. "I am sorry."
Jala takes Luvin's urn from Rain, who is currently completely exhausted mentally.
"You know, you should do something about this.", says Jala, holding Luvin's urn. She shakes it to hear that the ashes are still inside, fully intact.
"Perfect.", says Jala.
"I want to meet Leif.", says Rain. "I want to figure out the truth."
"Later. You have more things to worry about. Your companion, Zarya, is here, in the place you stay at. Go talk to her and start planning her birthday. It's nearly time."
"ID: Jala created. Commencing permission obtaining command."