Ever since the crash, I’ve been having strange dreams. It’s become so that I dread going to sleep.

“You must destroy the evil one!”

“No! I don’t want this! Choose someone else!”

“You have no choice! It is your destiny!”

Every night it’s the same blood spattered woman. Every night she tells me that I have a destiny and that I must accept my responsibility.

I don’t want to be responsible.

I don’t know what I’d do if I hadn’t decided to move in with Dinestra. She’s the only one who seems to understand what these dreams are doing to me.

And she comforts me in the only way I can accept.

…

“Cheer up, Blue. With skin that color, no one will notice if you have bags under your eyes.”

See what I mean? She doesn’t let me brood. I’m lucky to have found her.

I’d never discovered her on the Abraxis. She was too shy to socialize with the rest of us crew, preferring to stay in her lab or quarters. I would have never found out just how special she was.

I have to admit, I’m selfish enough that I don’t want to share her with anyone else and I don’t want anyone else to see just what a catch she is.

So I moved quickly, proposing a joining based on love and affection.

My heart was overjoyed that she agreed.

She then asked me, “What are these dreams about?”

I told her about the woman and her demands that I rise up and accept my responsibility.

“Responsibility for what?” Dinestra asked.

“I don’t know. I admit that the whole thing scares me so much that I can’t seem to get to that part.”

“Then maybe if I hold you in my arms, you will feel safe enough to confront this woman,” she whispered to me.

“I feel safer already,” I replied.

After that there were no more words as I drew her down to me.

…

I realize I haven’t really talked a lot about my and Dinestra’s other roommate, Deleren. There isn’t really a lot to say about him. He’s quiet, unobtrusive and eager to please. The perfect traits for a slave. I don’t regret inviting him to live with us, it would be very ungracious of me after he saved my life on the Abraxis, but there are times I wish that he weren’t so very withdrawn.

He goes to work daily for Celdu’s business and then returns home starving, exhausted, and smelly. I don’t know what Celdu has him doing, but he’d better be careful. Deleren isn’t a slave anymore and he doesn’t have to put up with shoddy treatment. If I have to, I’ll have words with Celdu. Deleren is my friend, I am not about to see him be taken advantage of.

One of the things Dinestra and I have done for Deleren is to teach him how to read. Slaves were not permitted in our empire to know this skill. Now that we are all equals, it is only fair. Quite on a whim, Dinestra gave him a novel espousing the love between a man maid and his master. At first Deleren was shocked at the subject.

Then I think he warmed to it. I imagine that he sees himself as the man maid and Celdu as his master.

I’m not sure we’re ever going to get full independence out of this man. But I suppose if he’s happy, then that is all that really matters.

It was around this time, that Dinestra ran up to me to tell me some pretty momentous news.

I was going to be a father.

I couldn’t really believe it. I mean, I was a cook on a crappy transit carrier. One step above slave. And here I was about to become a father and be joined to a high ranking woman.

It pretty much was everyone’s fantasy.

At that moment I didn’t want to wait any longer. I wanted to be joined to this woman.

Thankfully, she was willing to put up with my haste, just asking for enough time to prepare herself.

While my amazing soon-to-be spouse got ready I made all of the proper phone calls inviting the entire neighborhood to our celebration.

I probably shouldn’t have invited everyone. Someone needs to do something about that, not me, though. I don’t have the skill to be a mediator.

Besides, I think I have a much more important role to fulfill that of husband and father.

Despite the ruckus before the ceremony, I think that everyone had a good time. They certainly liked the cake I made. But, after everything I was exhausted. So Dinestra and I bid farewell to our guests and went to bed.

Once again the dreams started.

“Know your enemy! And know that she means death and servitude for you all!”

I tried to push the woman’s voice from my mind but I couldn’t. It was as if she was a part of me but separate. Then a picture of Cental filled my consciousness.

Cental was my enemy? How? She was the sweet girl who loved electronics and piloting. She used to come down to the galley after her shift and we’d drink spiced caf and just talk. She was my friend.

“If she is your friend, then you must save her from this fiend!”

I sat up startled, unable to get the last thought out of my mind. Cental was in danger. But danger from who or what?

I was so confused and I wanted no part of it. What could I do? I was just a cook and not a very good one at that.

“Daxon?” I heard Dinestra ask groggily from behind me.

I fought the urge to swear. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“Another nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell her to bother you some other night. Tonight you’re all mine.”

Have I mentioned I love this woman?

The next morning, I woke up refreshed. It was a welcome change. I painted for a bit, enjoying the day without feeling groggy.

From upstairs, I heard Dinestra give a little squeal and I dropped my paintbrush. But before I could run upstairs to see what was wrong she called down to me that the baby had just kicked her and surprised her. She was fine.

I was relieved. Then looked at the mess on the floor from the dropped brush. Crap, I needed to find a rag.

Dinestra came down and helped me a bit, getting rid of the ruined canvas while I scrubbed at the floors. When I asked her why she was only wearing her underwear she replied that her regular clothes were a bit confining. I didn’t mind the view but I worried about others seeing my wife in her undressed state.

Our people didn’t really do casual nudity. Not wearing clothes was a sign of poverty. I admit, it worried me.

Dinestra told me not to worry. This wasn’t our homeworld and if she wanted to only wear her underwear around our home, she would.

However she quickly changed her tune when a little oil splattered on her while cooking our lunch. Clothing it seemed had other uses than just status and modesty.

Dinestra quickly got dressed after that and then spent the afternoon practicing her music. The afternoon was lovely, even if the music wasn’t. I could get used to it being just the two of us.

I mean, I don’t mind Deleren. But I think that even he looks forward to being able to move out. But he doesn’t want to go someplace where he isn’t wanted and he doesn’t have the ability to live on his own.

I don’t really want to relate this next part. It’s both kind of disturbing and kind of embarrassing at the same time. You see, I’d kind of been checking the skies to see if there was any sign of rescue. Our course was registered with the proper authorities and the two Borealis sisters are fairly important in our galaxy. So maybe, just maybe, there would be a rescue. So I kept looking for them thinking I could signal them in some way if I spotted them.

I didn’t expect for someone to spot me.

I felt myself being pulled up into the air and I thought, this isn’t how I want to be reunited with my people.

And then they had me.

But they weren’t my people. They were a different race of spacefaring people and they had been monitoring this planet after the large explosion that had created the lake at the center of our community several hundred years ago. The energy was like none that they had ever seen. And this region kept emitting little bursts of this energy every so often. But I was the first being they had noticed who had the signature surrounding them so I got an impromptu invitation to their ship.

After poking, prodding, and probing me for what seemed like hours they finally sent me back.

I think this other race, they called themselves the Nooboos or something like that, they kept saying it a lot when talking in their odd language, really need to work on their landings. Just throwing someone out of an airlock isn’t the best way to make friends.

Still, they were able to give me more insight into why I might be having these dreams. Since I seem to have this energy resonance or something like that with the same energy that emanated from this planet all that time ago. Maybe the energy they detect has to do with my strange nightmares.

As it turned out, I got back just in time. Dinestra had gone into labor.

After an agonizing time, our daughter, Daria, was born. Naturally, my love was exhausted after giving birth so I offered to take care of our daughter.

While I was doing that, Deleren had been busy inviting people over to meet our new little girl. I’d just finished putting Daria down when Celdu walked in. Thinking back to my dream, I asked him if his sister had been acting a little strangely lately.

He said a little but he assumed it had to do with the situation we all were in. I asked him to watch her for me, he seemed confused but said he would.

I didn’t notice the Lady Brenna standing in the doorway until it was too late. I was pretty sure she had overheard anything.

But there was nothing I could do about that right then, since at that very moment I felt a wave of nausea sweep over me.

When I managed to get my stomach under control I came out to find Brenna and Cental fighting again.

And as before, Brenna beat her up. I half wondered if I was supposed to save Cental from Brenna but that didn’t feel right.

I went to bed early that night. But found myself worrying more and more about Cental. She wasn’t acting herself. The woman I knew was kind and friendly and didn’t have a mean bone in her body. This person that kept clashing with Lady Brenna wasn’t her.

At that moment, I knew I had to do something.

Almost as if on cue, a vision filled my head and a voice rang in my ears. But this time the voice was of the head of the Nooboo.

“We are more than just observers of this planet, we are its protectors. Long have we guarded this most sacred of planets and home to the breeders. This energy that has infected this Cental of yours is a danger to us all. So to help you on your quest we will send you aid.”

Aid? I wondered. What kind of aid could they send? And then another image flashed through my mind. The image of a baby. Of my baby. Mine and the Nooboo.

“We shall send you as many as are needed to aid you in your quest. You must prevent this energy from spreading!”

After the Nooboo’s message, I slipped into a deep sleep and didn’t wake until the following morning. It was a bit of a novel experience.

I soon found out why I was able to sleep so well. I guess my dream was true then. The Nooboo did get me pregnant. I don’t really want to think of the logistics as to how but I am guessing that somewhere in all of those tests they did so. I mean, it is not unusual for one male to get pregnant from another male where I am from, but there is generally a sharing of DNA involved. This was a lot more, I don’t know, impersonal.

When I told Dinestra about it, she really didn’t have much to say but to express her worry about how we could handle another infant so soon after the birth of our daughter.

Deleren on the other hand seemed a little concerned because I wasn’t getting a lot of sleep. Now that I was pregnant, I would need it more for the babies.

I swear he’s like a bit of a mother at times. He really just wants someone to take care of and care for him at the same time. If I liked men like that, I would talk to Dinestra about including him even more in our family. But I don’t and he doesn’t feel that way about me.

I told Deleren and Dinestra both not to worry. For some reason I felt myself drawn to the musical instrument while pregnant. It seemed to soothe the little one. And whatever soothed them soothed me as well.

Speaking of other little ones, it soon became time for Daria to grow up and start exploring the world.

Once again Deleren was in charge of the guest list – which did not include Cental I was pleased to note -while I made the cake.

My little girl is going to be beautiful like her mother, I just know it. I found myself wanting more and then chuckled. I was going to have more whether I wanted it or not.

By the end of my time, I was wanting the baby out more and more. It makes me appreciate just what Dinestra went through with our daughter.

But all too soon, I found myself holding my son, Damien.

And then strangely enough, I felt the familiar sensations of another infant wanting to be born. This could not be happening.

But happen it did and my daughter Delenn was born.

Followed by another son, Dien.

I don’t know how the Nooboo managed to give me three children, but there technology must be great indeed.

After getting the triplets situated and making sure that Daria was occupied, Dinestra and I left the children in Deleren’s hands to sneak upstairs for some alone time. We hadn’t really had a chance to talk much since the birth of our daughter.

I told her about my dreams and that the Nooboo had impregnated me for a reason. I also told her of my growing belief that I had to do something, more because I wanted a safer place for my children to grow up than any desire to be a hero.

And then the time for talking was over. I had a lovely wife and I was determined to show her just how much I adored her.

I admit that I fell asleep that night with a smile on my face.

Unfortunately that feeling of peace and happiness didn’t last long.

“Are you ready to accept your destiny, Daxon?”

“I’m ready to save my friend and protect my children,” I replied.

“It is enough. Wake, Daxon. We have work to do.”

I woke up and glanced over at my still sleeping wife. I knew somehow that whatever would happen next didn’t include her.

I sat on the edge of the bed and gathered my courage. I didn’t want to do this, but for my children I would. I didn’t want to go up against Cental who is/was my friend. But seemed as if I didn’t have a choice.

“Oh you have a choice,” the woman’s voice said.

A small smile flitted across my lips. “The choice of never sleeping again and possibly dooming my people or doing what you want whoever you are.”

“My name is Kaya. And several years ago I stood against the one that now lives within the body of your Cental. I lost my life in that battle. I was able to seal the witch into the lake until something broke my seals.”

“Don’t tell me, the crash,” I thought at her wryly.

“No. It was the dredging of the lake to make a park by those construction workers.”

I couldn’t prevent the snort that came out. “So we just have bad luck.”

“It is as you say. Come, there is much you need to learn.”

I entered the room next to the bedroom that Dinestra and I shared and found it transformed. Gone were the racks of clothing and in their place stood a cauldron and a book upon a pedestal.

“What is this?” I asked standing in front of the book staring down at the unfamiliar writing on the page.

“It is what you must learn and master if you are to have any hope of defeating the one in habiting your friend’s body,” Kaya answered.

I ran my fingers over the raised ink. “I don’t understand this.”

“Understanding will come in time. But you must first learn before you can understand.”

“You realize that made no sense.”

“Not as of yet, you still have much to learn. Now for our first lesson…”

Kaya lectured me for hours, reading passages of the book to me and then asking me to recite back to her what she read. It wasn’t easy since I didn’t understand the language but I was slowly learning. Bit by bit, I began to comprehend what the words spelled.

When I realized that I was studying Magic I stopped. “What will stop the thing inside Cental, Kaya?” I asked slowly. I wasn’t sure I wanted to get into a full on battle with a witch who was willing to kill anyone in her way as I am sure the thing inhabiting Cental was. After all it had taken over my friend, who was next?

“That thing will not stop until it is destroyed or contained,” Kaya answered.

“What will destroy it?”

“I do not know. If I did, we would not be here now,” she responded.

I sighed, so much for the easy solution. “What will contain it?”

“You will need to become skilled enough to craft a container that will imprison the thing. Then, and only then and at a time of our choosing in a place of power will we battle the witch and trap her soul inside. Then your friend will be free.”

I nodded and grasped the edge of the pedestal.

It was time to get to work.

~*~

This update was longer and a bit heavier on staged/story elements. That’s mostly because the inhabitants were bloody boring. They skilled and that was about it.

Deleren here would like to let you know he is completely find with not appearing much in this update. He was a quiet sim who worked much of the time (he’s an employee at Celdu’s). Just to be on the safe side, I am going to have him quit his job because he moving in next time I get to Celdu’s house.

And in case you didn’t catch it last time, Celdu is indeed pregnant again. The fact that this house’s toilets know very well.

Toddler Stats!

Daria DvairVirgo10/0/9/2/10

Shy, serious and nice? Oi!

Here’s a better look at our resident ghost. I didn’t explicitly spell out who she was, but you should be able to guess.

I really wanted to contrast what’s happening with Cental and Daxon. One is being taken over while the other is still able to make choices, but they have consequences.

Stats so far!Sims: 19 (10 adults, 3 toddlers, 6 infants)Community Lots: 0Sim Multiplier: 1Founder Career: 3 (Able to advance to Judge (lvl 8))Taxes: $3100Furious sims: 2 (Finally! Now someone can learn couple’s counseling and be the law.)Sick sims: 0Fires / Burglaries: 0 (Oh Burglar! Please to be coming!)

Current Population: 19