134 Galatea.

I watched the data on the dozens of windows tick about listlessly and sighed.

The big glaring alert a testament to my stupidity.

"Test no. 57 - Dissolute. Subject Terminated."

I took off the tinker supercluster helmet, placing it on the desk before me as I pulled out my flask from the coat.

"Computer, pull it apart." I said, rubbing my temples, sipping some mega seed juice.

57 attempts to put together an entity, my own personal alien space whale.

57.

And not once did I succeed.

Meat puppets melted down at contact.

Humans hemorrhaged.

Monkeys....well, best not to speak of that unfortunate disaster.

The body was fine. It came together nicely, all made up and technically functional.

The mind, the control system was the problem.

Sure, I could just put the A.I. in charge in an evolved human host, but that be too risky. I don't want to risk the A.I. getting any ideas.

An uppity A.I. is not a good idea for anyone.

"Maybe we can try attaching it to a higher sentience? Like the avatar Scion used." Riley offered.

"No. That won't work. A human or meat puppet will just die from the strain. You saw that well enough. And my other creatures don't have the brain power to be actually useful as a base.

And higher beings don't tend to enslave themsel-"

And idea struck me.

It was so obvious that I almost smacked myself for not thinking of it first.

"Riley, I think you should go take a break." I said, pulling out a handful of rings from a portal beside me.

"You came up with an idea?" Riley caught on quick.

No point playing games then.

"Yup. And it's not kid friendly. So why don't you-"

"I stayed with the Nine for six years, Papa. I'm beyond kid friendly now. Let me help, please!" Riley insisted.

"Touche."

I sighed.

"Riley, this isn't going to be gorey, or violent. It's more of an emotional th-"

"You're going mind break someone aren't you? Who though?" She wondered out loud as my jaw dropped in surprise.

Damn!

"What? It's obvious." She chuckled, watching my surprised expression.

"It's not obvious at all!" I laughed.

"And I don't want you getting the wrong idea from watching that."

"Oh! Oh! I got it! You're going to do that thing about pulling people from their lowest point and manipulating them right?"

"How do you even know that?" I asked as the answer came to me.

"Jack slash." We both said at the same time.

"He liked to make them hopeful, make them think they'll escape if they do what he said and then crush them completely. He did it to my family ...to me. And a lot of others. I know the strategy." She added, a bit sad.

I patted her head.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring out a bad memory."

"No. It's fine, Papa. I've gotten over it. Besides, I have a new family now." She smiled.

I felt a pang of pain in my chest.

I had come to care for Riley. And I don't want her to relive her trauma.

Not least because of me.

"Look Riley, I just want you to know I didn't adopt you just to use you like a tool. You're my daughter and nothing will change that. So whatever happens-"

Riley just walked up to me and grabbed me in a hug.

"I know, Papa. If you wanted to use me I can thinks of a dozen and half ways of doing it off the top of my mind.

But you didn't. You're not as evil as you like to think." Riley smiled.

I hugged her back, patting her head, a soft smile blooming on my face.

"You know Riley, sometimes you're too smart for your own good."

"I know." She said, smugly as she stepped away, hands on her hip.

"Now tell me who it is! I'm dying from curiosity."

"I'll do you one better." I said, slipping the rings on.

"I'll show you."

"Earth, Fire, Wind and Water! With your powers combined, I summon the Guardian Of Earth, Planetina!"

Four beams of elemental power burst from the rings converging above us in a flash, as a figure formed from the light, coalescing into the shape of a woman.

A woman huddled and curled up, eyes wide, muttering.

What?

Planetina floated above me, shivering, muttering, clutchingher head like it was to fly off.

"Planetina?" I called out softly.

"So cold. So cold. So dark. I can't feel anything. I cant see anything. I can't hear it. I can't hear anything. I can't hear you! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

Sheesh.

Scion really did a number on her, didn't he?

I thought she would forget about it when I resummoned her but apparently the memory carries over even after death.

"Planetina. What happened?" I asked, touching her shoulder.

She twitched, her head spun violently to me, as her eyes widened in horror.

"No! This isn't real. You're not real. I'm....this is all in my head! I'm not seeing anything. I'm not hearing anything...."

I shook my head and pulled her into a deep french kiss.

"Wwah!" She gasped as we parted lips.

"That seem real enough to you?" I said, wiping my lips with napkin.

"Wh-wh-why did you have to go and kiss me!?" She cried out.

"Well pain wasn't going to cut it since you were already in pain. So I figured pleasure would be easier to wake you up."

"You went in with your tongue!" She protested.

"As I said, necessary measure."

"Was grabbing my ass a necessary measure too?" She fumed, blushing.

I smiled slyly.

"Very necessary."

"Asshole!" She cried out, trying to slap me only to slam into my forcefield.

"So, what happened?" I asked, going right back to the topic as her pupils dilated again and she reached for her stomach instinctively.

"My stomach...."

"I resummoned you." I answered.

"Now will you tell me what's gotten you so psyched out?"

"That....man...thing....monster!" Planetina retreated in her knees again, shivering in fear.

"He...he burned...all those forests. All those worlds. So many innocent plants and animals. And people. The screams....." She clutched her head, pulling her hair at it's roots, as she began to hyperventilate, if that was even possible for something like her.

I extended her a hand and pulled her down, putting my arms around her till she finally stopped floating and fell into my arms.

I sat down on the floor, as she continued.

"The screams....I can still hear them. So many dead. So much fire. Destruction. It hurt so much more than anything he could do to me."

Of course it did.

A nature guardian...it must have been hell to go through that. To see all you stand for decimated down to the basest component.

Razed to ashes.

"I couldn't protect them. I couldn't protect anyone. I couldn't do anything but watch! It's all my fault. I'm so...so weak. I'm no guardian. I'm...I don't know what I am...." She muttered softly, broken.

Looks like Scion already did my job for me.

Planetina came to me pre mind broken!

Now a that's left is for me to give her the final push.

I silently ordered the computer to deliver the meat puppet with the Clairvoyant shard to me, as I called out to Planetina.

"Planetina. Look at me. It's not your fault. It's okay." I patted her back comfortingly.

Is it even comforting to a nature spirit like her since she's not human?

The back patting comfort response thingy is something that humans get from their childhood care by their human parents. An association built over time.

Planetina never had a childhood because she's not a person, so will this even work?

Then again, she was really into Morty for some reason and that's a very human thing too, so who knows!

Planetina leaned into me a bit as her shivering stopped.

Okay, so that worked.

How?!

It makes no sense!

I shook my head.

No. Let's focus on turning her to my ends first. Research can wait.

I connected to the freshly arrived meat puppet and displayed a set of worlds on a holoscreen before us, each a little different from each other.

Some burning, some cracked, some barren.

All in some state of disrepair.

I cupped Planetina's face and moved her sight to the screens.

"Planetina, look at those screens." I said, "Each of those worlds is out there, in the multiverse. Each of them dying. Without Scion ever doing anything. Without you doing anything.

Thousands upon thousand of worlds, billions, trillions of animals doe everyday. Out there in the multiverse."

"No!" She looked away, only for me to bring her gaze forcefully back to the screen.

"Don't turn away, Planetina! Look at it.

Look at that world. Mankind never existed on that one. See how barren it is? No one was there to burn it, or mine out the earth, but that didn't save it, did it?"

I pointed out another screen, one with a cracked earth.

"See that world? A meteor hit earth at sublight speeds and cracked it apart. Destroyed everything. And there was nothing you could have done, even if you'd been there!"

"I...I" she stuttered.

"And that one. It got swept into a sudden ice age. Froze all over. Death to all of it's residents.

Or that one, whose core solidified. Died standing in place. Sent everyone flying off at 600 miles an hour.

Do you understand what I'm saying, Planetina?

Nature is brutal. Nature is mercurial. Nature is suicidal. It wants to die! And you can't do anything to stop. Not now. Not ever!

And look at that one on the right. That's what happens even if you do everything right. The earth lasts a while longer until the sun goes supernova. And then? The world is dyed red. Aflame. Ablaze. Scorched dead.

And even after that, the end is inevitable! The heat death of the universe will come for it all. And you will never save it. You will never save any if them! Everything dies someday! You can't save them all!"

I felt Planetina fall limp in my arms, tears streaming down her face, her eyes hollow.

I let her wallow in the despair for a moment.

Let her soak up all the hopelessness.

We sat quite for a moment as I eyed Riley behind us, watching on curiously.

I raised an eyebrow, and she shook her head, gesturing at me to continue.

"What am I supposed to do then?" Planetina asked me, her voice cracked and hoarse. Lifeless.

"Why am I alive? Why do I exist if there is no point? Is there a point? Was there ever a point?" She asked, shaking with sobs.

I have her a small hug, and patted her back as she wept into my chest.

"There is no point. There never was one." I answered.

"Then what am I supposed to do now? What am I if I can't do what I'm destined for?" She asked, looking up at me, her lips shaking.

Alright!

Time to land the final blow on this fine smithed piece of iron.

To quench her, turn her into a sword and shield for me.

"Fuck destiny." I said.

"What?" She asked.

"I said fuck destiny. You aren't destined for anything.

Planetina, you can't save everyone. But you know what you can do?" I said, lifting her chin on my fingers, looking deep into her eyes.

"You can protect what you love. Find someone you care about. Find your family. And protect them with all ypur might. You don't owe the world your loyalty. Your loyalty is only to the ones you love and the ones who love you. Nothing else matters in this world."

Cheesy, I know. Turns my stomach to say it.

But what needs to be done, needs to be done.

I need that entity as a backup plan. It's too valuable to leave hanging.

Planetina's eyes focused on mine, as a blush spread through her cheeks.

"Do...you?" Her breath hitched.

"What do you think?" I said, nearing her.

She closed her eyes and pursed her lips, waiting. But the kiss arrived elsewhere.

Her forehead.

She opened her eyes and looked a bit shocked and disappointed.

"What do you want, Planetina?" I asked her straight.

"I ... don't know..." She hesitated.

"Do you want something like this?" I gestured at the lab around us.

"A family? Somewhere to belong? To come home to?"

She looked aroudn conflicted.

"Or I can send you to a world full of forests and pretty blue oceans, untouched by humanity." I said, snapping my fingers as the screen changed to display a green planet, lush with flora and fauna.

A nice little slice of paradise.

It was beautiful, positively beautiful.

Even I wanted to make a vacation villa there. But that will have to wait.

"But remember, nothing lasts forever. Not even this. It won't happen tomorrow. Maybe not even this century. But what about this millenium? The next one? Ten thousand, one hundred thousand, even a million years from now? The forests will die. The oceans will evaporate. But you'll still be alive.

Tell me Planetina, what will you have in a million years? A billion years? No one. All alone."

She fell silent, lost in thought.

"What will I have..." She muttered absentmindedly.

She looked up at me, unsure of what to do, almost looking for guidance.

"I'm....not used to making my own decisions. My kids used to do it for me. But now...."

"Then let me make that decision for you, Planetina." I said, putting her down, as I slipped her rings onto her own fingers. All four of them.

Her eyes widened in shock.

She never expected this. Her kids had probably never given her this freedom.

Exactly the reaction I planned to get.

She didn't really have any freedom, but if she believes I gave her the choice to walk away, she'll be that much more pliable in my hands.

Now to clinch the deal!

"Will you be mine, Planetina?" I asked, squeezing her hand.

This time, she didn't resist.

She nodded bashfully, nuzzling into my chest, as I ran my hand through her hair, squeeing with joy.

I did however resist the urge to puke.

Ugh!

If it wasn't for a greater power, I wouldn't have said something so sickeningly sweet and corny.

I can't wait to wipe her brain and reprogram her into a base for my entity!

This whole charade is only to prevent her from kicking up a fuss or destroying my lab.

To voluntarily accept the procedure.

To create a loyal guard dog for my family.

"But I want you to promise me something too." I whispered into her ears, as she looked up at me.

"Will you protect this family, forever?"

Planetina suddenly looked conflicted, her eyes downcast.

"I... can't. You saw it too. I am weak. I can't protect anyone."

I kissed her forehead and cupped her face.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have a way to make you so much stronger. Stronger than even that monster. Strong enough to protect us."

"You do?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yes. Those rings, they are holding you back. I'll jailbreak their chains and set you free. Then you'll be stronger than ever before." I assured her, laying out my hand.

She looked at it and at me before removing the rings and handing them to me.

"Come. Let's do it now." I said, picking her up in my arms, in a princess carry.

She put her arms around my neck and chirped happily as I ked her down ti the lab.

I lay her down in the constitution pod that would form the center of the entity and attached the sensors to her head.

"What are these for?" She asked, confused.

"See the rings are strong. And the chains they put on you are strong too. So I can't break them from their side. So I have to break them from your side. Don't worry though. It won't hurt even a little. And I'll be right here, by your side the whole time. Just relax. Take a deep breath and it'll be over before you even know it." I said, caressing her face.

Planetina nodded, swallowing her worries as I gave Riley the signal. She sent me a thumbs up as I closed the pod on Planetina, waving at her from outside.

She waved back, a bit concerned but mostly glad.

I sighed in relief.

If she wasn't so broken and used to taking orders without a word, I wouldn't have dared to do this.

The pod lit up, as the sensors started transmitting the data to my contacts.

I took a step back and smiled evilly.

"Let's get to work."

The A.I. began to upload the shard control system program onto Planetina's brain while I activated the brainwashing mechanism, wiping her memory and replacing it with a modified version of Offee's brain, with a couple of added rules.

1. Protect my family and me at all costs. Priority in that order. Star and Riley first, then me.

I have Project Phoenix active so death is an afterthought but star can't be revived via Project Phoenix due to his divine nature, so he comes first.

2. Follow my orders at any and all costs, and to the word.

My orders were the law for her. Can't have her interpreting or twisting my orders to the convenience of any if at all, leftover part of her consciousness.

3. Never hurt my family unless the situation necessitates it.

A rule made for situations like body possession or mind control. Even betrayal.

4. Do everything as stealthily as possible unless otheriwse commanded.

She was hidden dagger after all. Can't be revealing all my cards this easy, now can I?

5. Be ready for any further additions to the rules under the activation keyphrase 'Dark Knight'.

Just in case I forgot something in this rush job.

With that done, I checked back on her to find her unconcious, and nodded.

I turned around, and gave Riley to go signal as I walked out of the chamber.

Time to attach her to the entity body.

I entered the observation deck and came to stand beside Riley.

"I can't believe that worked." She said.

"Yeah. Though, Planetina is prone to such things. She's been following the orders of her 'kids' for years. She is probably used to it by now. Not to mention, she didn't really have any other choice." I replied.

"Because you didn't give her any valid choices." Riley chuckled.

I shrugged.

"That was evil. I know I said that back there but...that really was evil of you, Papa." Riley added, softer this time.

I patted her head.

"It was necessary. To protect our family. To protect you and Star."

"I know." She said, sighing.

"Oho! Look at you sighing like a grown up!" I tickled her, as she fell into bouts of laughter.

"Papa~" She cried, "I'll pee!"

I stopped immediately, as she roleld on the floor.

I smiled.

Yup. This feels right.

I helped Riley back up, as we watched the program finish uploading.

The screen beeped in alert, showing a 100 percent upload status and I connected to it, activating the next stage.

Portals opened up all around the lab below, materials and shards, goo and ethereal substance pouting into the chamber, seeping into the pod.

I connected with my left hand to Taylor's shard, the Queen Administrator, that had the power to control all other shards, now jailbroken and in a meat puppet.

With my right I connected to Chevalier's shard, with the power to connect things to each other while selecting what part of their functions to keep active.

Finally, I activated the telekinetic module on my bracelet, while Riley plunged her hands into an organic tube leading into the pool of entity batter below, using her power to control it.

"On three, according to plan." I said.

Rikey nodded

"One....Two....Three!"

We both got to work immediately as the matter began to shape itself, forming a cocoon around the pod and Planetina, digging into her body, reshaping her to our specifications.

First came the primary control shards.

A Path To Victory, to chart the ideal path to follow my orders.

A Stilling and a Sting, to use against other higher order beings. A lethal combo of ultimate attack and ultimate critical hit chance.

Then, a Cohesion and Biokinesis, to keep the main body together and self repair when need be.

The classics.

Another set followed shortly after.

Photokinesis. For feeding from the light of stars.

Eidolon. To control the Endbringers.

Fairy Queen. To manipulate the shards into doing the central command system's bidding. A replacement for the Queen Administrator I had kept in my hands as a contingency measure.

Can't let her have the ability to control my shard, now can I?

The process drawled on, as we slowly and carefully worked around the charted plan.

I used Chevalier's power to sew the many many pieces together, sticking them to each other, merging them with Planetina, as more and more material poured out from the portals, shard after shard, a flood of prismatic goo.

I wiped my sweat on my sleeve as I looked down at the herculean task still waiting undone and shook my head.

I took a sip of mega seed juice and dove back into work.

Nervous systems, came next, their own unique ones meant for the huge bodies of entities, to coordinate between their entire mass.

Digestive systems, followed as did a secondary brain and circulatory system.

One different from humans.

This one was made of thin pulsing membranes, reinforced with layer upon layer of tough tissue, like the Endbringers, minus the core weakness.

Not for blood, no. For whatever that goo in their body was that helped them move.

Next came the compression systems to shape the avatar into a roughly human assemblage.

A brain, composed of various thinker shard clusters, supernaturally welded to Planetina's own brain.

Some minor shaping to her form.

An invisible tether to the rest of her body with a cluster of master rated shards, like a puppet on it's strings.

I heaved a sigh of satisfaction as we finished on the main body's construction, and wiped the sweat from my brow.

Riley leaned onto the desk, panting like dog, looking like she was about to throw up.

I handed her a bottle of water and an orange candy as I checked the time.

Eight hours and thirty five minutes.

Without a single break.

Thankfully both if us had waste filters installed in our bodies or else we'd have had to piss really bad right now.

Just a little more now. I told myself.

But will Riley be fine?

I looked at Riley, as she slammed the empty bottle on the desk and swayed wildly.

I ran up to her, catching her by the shoulders.

"Let's take a break." I said.

"No." She said, looking over the counter at the almost finished entity with pride.

I sighed.

"We're taking a break." I said, picking her up, and throwing her onto the sofa in the corner before I too took a seat, grunting as I sat down.

Oh man. I've become my dad.

I chuckled.

I even grunt like him.

Riley looked at me confused.

"It's nothing." I told her, patting her head, as she rested in my lap.

For a moment we sat in silence, and I thought Riley had fallen asleep.

Until she suddenly asked.

"After this...are we really leaving this world?"

She sounded nervous.

"Yes. Why?" I replied.

"Nothing." She said at first, " It's just....going out of this world. To another world....I don't know what this feeling is but....the closest approximation would be....fear. I don't know what I'm afraid of, Papa. But I'm scared." She said, sleepily.

I reached out with my hand and she hugged it, as I stroked her head.

I thought for a moment on it and nodded.

It was understandable.

"Leaving your world, it's a big thing. Near impossible thing." I said softly, "And the uncertainty, the feeling of not knowing what will happen.

If you'll ever return to the place you once called home.

It's something completely natural.

All things new feel like that at first.

I felt it too. I still do.

Did I tell you this story?

Of how I came into the multiverse?"

"Yes. You found a portal gun and the memories of a genius inventor." She answered.

"Yes. But I found them when I was randomly teleported to this special place, far away from my world. And I didn't know how to return home, because I didn't know where my home was. Actually, I still don't know where my home world is. But you know what?

It's different with you, Riley. You know where your home world is. If you ever feel like returning, it's right there. It'll always be right there for you, just one click and a portal away.

When I came into the multiverse, I was alone.

But you won't be.

I'll be here. Star too. We'll be right by your side.

Whatever you're scared of, Papa will protect you from it!" I laughed, booping her nose.

Riley smiled contentedly and sat up straight.

"Don't you want to rest some more?" I asked.

"No." She said.

"I want to see what the entity looks like when it's completed!"

"So do I." I said, getting up, stretching with satisfying crackles and pops.

I groaned as Riley giggled.

"You're getting old!" She said.

"Gah!" I acted hurt.

"I'm just 24. Actually, I will be 24 in a couple of months!"

"You act like an old man!" She replied.

"It's just the being-a-dad disease! and I'm afraid it's chronic!" I said, lifting her off the sofa, and squeezing her into a bear hug.

"Your beard pricks!" She said, pushing me away as I laughed.

"Alright. Alright." I said, putting her down as we walked back to the control panel.

"Ready?" I asked

"Uhun!" She said, putting her hands into the organic tubes again.

"Let's do this then!" I announced.

While I shocked awake the rest of the shards with my technokinesis, Riley went to task with a pulse of her power, reviving the rest of the bodily systems, setting them all in order, synchronising their rythms and fine tuning their coordination.

Finally, I connected to Planetina's new body, and forced her shards to consume the excess of materials from her body, tucking them away in her brand spanking new pocket dimension that had been tied to her via a refashioning of Eden's old pocket dimension, the one that we stole the prismatic goo of shards from.

I disconnected from the meat puppets, and swung my hands, restoring blood flow to them as the lights in the lab below pulsed, and the computer signalled the completion of the project.

The excess of the Planetina's new body disappeared from the lab floor, sucked into nothingness, and the pod hissed open, slowly.

I smiled and snapped my fingers, as the height of my achievements rose out of the pod.

Rippling pitch black skin, dotted with starry lights as if she was draped in a cosmic blanket.

Coiled tight musculature, like an impenetrable coat of armor, yet supple and graceful, like a greek goddess.

Glowing golden purple eyes, as if forged from enchanted gems, reflecting an all seeing kaleidoscopic shimmer.

Yet in there hid a deep love and care as she looked at me.

Long hair floating behind her, wrapped tastefully around her frame like a toga, hiding her important bits.

And a serene smile, comforting yet hiding something more.

She was beautiful, less in a sexy way and more in the way art is beautiful.

Like a sculpture brought to life by the gods themselves.

Yup. I have the perfect name for her.

"I shall call you, Galatea!"

___________________

Phew!

I really got carried away with that chapter!

4700 words, baby!

That's a whole new high for me!

You guys better donate your powerstones on this one XD

Lotsa spelling mistakes here so do point them out please.

I'll edit the chapter tomorrow morning though.

Tell me how it was in the comments!

This is the regular chapter for the day and the extra chapter for 500 powerstones combined cuz I'm tired and sleepy and in no mood to write any more chappys.

Thanks for reading!

And nighty night!

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