Slowly, very slowly, like gears grinding conclusions were drawn. still the unknown error occasionally appeared with no apparent answer for it. In the end they had to simply go back to the basic premise.
Re-examine assumptions one acted.
data re-requested.... one inconsistency found. Potential Factor is higher then original estimate
There was a sudden flurry of activity at that. It could not be by a significant amount, they were usually very good at identifying the potential of a creature. Still they were dealing with an ally of the Number Four. There must be no error. Absolutely none.
Re-evaluate
Once again they re-counted everything from start to finish- but that was the problem. There was no end. No ending point at all. In the end pragmatism had to take over. Numbers were rounded off... for the sake of the project.
... Potential is... irrational.
This was almost certainly the cause of their errors. The creature's potential was infinitesimally higher, every time they measured it. But still finite, still very low... yet the irrational quality of it, boggled them. They were used to dealing with infinite of course, when related to the universe. But applied to a person... how is it that they could be dealing with creatures that had both finite and infinite potential? Duality as that was causing the projections to falter. It was an impossibility to model, exactly.
continue time project
Death smiled a little looking down at herself. This was... certainly an interesting look. Flesh too. That was nice. Humans always liked to make her look 'scary'. She didn't like- (now that was strange. This age she could actually like and hate things) being feared. Though she could certainly understand it. Her world took the shape of a massive castle, surrounded by a maze. The new world was still shifting, still trying to understand itself... as it always did. Death didn't mind. She was happy to experience something new, in every age. Death stood inside a hall way of her new curious castle. It had darkness and shades of grey in it. That was always consistent in most ages. Always the grey... still she had hoped for a bit of colour.
She had seen every single age, experienced every single change... and being in this body... well, she could kind of now understand why that Mr Madison-
"Greetings Death," said the Woman. "I thought I felt a... connection. You are experiencing existence in the form of a woman?" This was odd. She had not connected like this to the deathly realm in... several ages.
"Yes my Lady," Death curtsied in a very humble manner. She had an unusual quirky expression, which was quite surreal upon matters as grim as she represented. "I hope it does not offend you."
"Of course not," Smiled the Woman. "I am simply intrigued. You have not taken a feminine form in quite a time."
"I am not easily associated of Woman," Said death as a mirror appeared in the hall of her stone walled castle. "But there have been many that do. I thought to appear in a pleasant form for Lilly, when her time comes. I am saddened that she has no relative I can call upon that she would know..." such was usually a good way in dealing with young children. Death was... always good at that, in any age. The goth girl carefully adjusted her grey and black dress, and noted the silver chain on which was em-blazed a picture of her old scythe. At least she didn't have bones to worry about. It was also nice to smell things too. But with guts came a heart... death with a heart? An unusual age to be in indeed. The breasts were a little... distracting. At least everything else was pretty much as it always had been.
The woman frowned a little at that. "I would rather you stayed away from her, dear." Said Venus a little strongly.
The little goth-girl strolled up to the Woman, noting her much larger appearance- though was herself unafraid of it. Her own diminutive form seemed not to cause an issue either. "Interesting... you're not quite so fearful of me are you? Is it because of this female form?"
"I was never afraid of you Death... my only fear is for Lilly." The woman shook her head looking down at the being. Perhaps her stance was a little more relaxed. "You have agreed to play a game with Lucas? In the Future? Why are you not there now?"
"My Lady, I am everywhere. I am playing the game, I have finished the game... I am here talking to you... and I rarely lose knowing all outcomes," sighed the goth girl. "I... haven't had to think about things, in quite a long time too. This isn't exactly 'business' to me either."
The woman shook her head again. "I had a suspicion the reason the world has been going as well as it had might have had your hand in it..."
"I... may have done one or two small things. But I can not prevent an outcome once it is fated... if you like, I can have you there too, at the time. She seems to have impressed you enough. Will you take her to your realm?" Such a thing was a rare honour indeed.
The woman gave that some thought. "I... am uncertain. She is unhappy. Conflicted. Stubborn." Yet were these also the qualities she admired?
"Sounds to me, she could use guidance..." the goth girl said tilting her head. "I best get back to the game... I remember it like it was... tomorrow."
Lucas looked around. The 'future' wasn't exactly like she expected it to be. For one thing, there was nothing but vague clouds of energy. Shapes appeared and disappeared...
"Where are we?" She asked.
Potential space.
"Death? are you there?"
Query. What is Death?
Suddenly Lucas found herself falling even 'further' into the future. Past the grey shrouds of night, that existed there. She felt her hand being pulled by the goth girl- death in front of her. How did she get in front?!
"Hey angel. Try to be careful of the locals here." smiled the goth girl.
"Who were they?!" Asked Lucas glancing 'behind' to the 'past'. Or what was it? "I thought we were going to the future?"
"This is the future," said the goth girl. "What is the future? It's undefined... doesn't exist. This is real time travel. Some things are definite, others are not... at the moment, 'We' are not even sure a world will exist at all.. So... there's nothing at this point in time- or is there?"
Lucas looked at the enormity of being in the 'future'. So at this place, actions had yet taken place... so there was no future... yet at the same time, things 'did' exist and could go back? And sometimes she could see 'something'? Were they then just as ghosts here? This was horribly complicated!
Death brought out her chess game. "Time to play sweetie," smiled the goth girl with a wink.
