After leaving the counselor, Tiffany saw Nadine walking towards her.
"Hello, darling..." - it was Nadine.
"Nadine, I really don't have time..." - Said Tiffany.
"You want to know where your advantages lie. Where your powers lie." - Said Nadine, cutting her off - "And I can tell you."
"Why should I believe you?" - Tiffany still felt her pride burning strong.
"Because you are special, Tiffany." - Said Nadine.
"Nadine, if this is another 'in the eyes of the Lord' speech..." - Said Tiffany.
"I am speaking as Nadine, not as a goddess. I am not saying you are 'special like everyone else'. I am saying you meshed with the Enemy and you meshed with purity. That makes you special, and that makes you able to help save one life, and, perhaps, many more. I need you to listen to me."
Tiffany's anger turned to utter confusion.
Lucas looked around. Robert was terrified, the baby was blissfully sleeping. Good. Jay was regaining her self-control as she tried to talk to the camera about what was transpired, no doubt for it to be edited later. Terrible. Mike was filming someone who, by all accounts, would be the Grim Reaper, and this was likely to reveal to everybody and their uncle that Lucas was involved in some pretty big things. Fucking terrible.
Lucas sighed heavily.
"I will assume you are the Grim Reaper. Neruite? A little help here!" Well, can't really get any worse than this, so might as well call Neruite to help deal with it...
The destiny of time is at stake. - Said Death, not seeming to mind the discomfort of his current host.
Neruite/Selene walked in.
Well met, Selene. - Said Death.
"Selene? As in... The goddess Selene?" - Said Jay.
Selene looked at Death, looked at Jay and Mike, and put two and two together.
"Death... Why are you here?" - She asked.
"Listen, Death, by the looks of it, this can wait another thirty seconds until I sort things out. Correct?" - Said Lucas.
A few moments can be spared. - Said Death.
"Okay. Listen. Jay, Mike. This is big, yes. I'm not gonna lie to you, this could make your career soar. And it would be VERY bad for me and even for some countries if it came out, yes. For several reasons you don't even dream of. However, I can't in good conscience force or even ask you guys to nix it. That would impose on your freedom, and, well, I'm not about to. My interview I could, because it was mine and so on, but this isn't only mine. So do as you will."
Jay by now had gotten her wits about her.
"Where exactly are we? This isn't a real apartment."
"Well, it is an apartment, just not on Earth. This is a plot of land on the Moon where I can do some neat stuff, Jay, including making sure people get to survive." - Said Lucas - "You're not using the microphone."
"That's because I want to know it for myself." - Said Jay - "And I also want to know what exactly would happen if I were to publish this."
Mike had gotten the clue and turned off the camera.
Lucas sighed and told Jay the basics, making sure to leave anything about Lilly out of it.
Jay nodded. "You're powerful here, right? Then remove the bit with us filming Death and so on from the camera's records. Can you do it?"
"Yes, but... I mean... You have the right to publish it..." - Said Lucas.
"There's something in our Code called Harm Limitation Principle, Lucas." - Said Jay - "It would be a huge breach of ethics if I did."
"Yeah." - Said Mike - "I admit I sorta turned on the camera because of the scene and so on, but I'm not about to screw you guys over like this."
Lucas nodded, concentrated and knew all scenes and sounds with Death and related to it were deleted, while those about the baby were safe.
"Thanks, you guys." - She said.
"We'll show ourselves out and publish the bit about the baby." - Said Jay - "Good luck with... Er... Whatever you're about to deal with."
Jay and Mike left, and Lucas turned to Robert.
"Robert, if you wanna stay and hear what he has to say, you can. If not, I can send you back..."
"Er, I would rather be sent back, Lucas..." - Said Robert. She had a feeling she really didn't want to know what was happening this time.
Lucas nodded and did so.
As I said, tomorrow will not exist, Lucas. Time will stop. This is time's destiny as well. - Said Death - Everything has a destiny, even time.
"But if Lilly is destined to die in a month..." - Said Lucas.
She is. But if time stops in a nanosecond, she will still be 'destined' to die in a month. One that will never come. - Said Death.
"And... I can't believe I'm about to say this, and how will I change the destiny of time? And how can I, and, again, I can't believe I'm asking this, how can I prevent time from stopping? What will cause it to stop, for that matter? And... Oh fuck, the sleeplessness..."
"I'm officially taking care of that, Lucas. You won't need sleep until this is solved. On my word as a goddess of sleep!" - Said Neruite.
Death nodded.
This is as far as Selene is able to help. I can only help you with the information, for there are rules. Now you will listen...
