As far as planets went this one was truly a marvel to the eye. Despite its evident taint the oceans were a dazzling blue, its atmosphere healthy and active, and its geography comprised of a satisfying distribution of a decent variety of climates. It might have been tiny, exaggeratedly so when compared with Alm’s home world, but this hidden gem sat tucked away in the farthest reaches of Infinite Space. Its characteristics made it a superb candidate for a temporary home.

“I never thought we’d find such a small world with a pulse on the edge of Infinity.”

Hearing the voice of his friend, Alm flashed a joyous grin from behind his short but dense snow-white beard. It was the third world that he and Sven had scouted since their heaven-defying transcendence. “No need to look any further. I’ve taken a liking to this peculiar little place.”

Sven tugged at the smooth strands of his orderly beard, unaffected by the cold temperature of the planet’s desolate moon. “Don’t you think it’s a bit too plain? Its denizens are the weakest of any world we’ve visited, completely cut off from the world’s heart. They’ve pursued Laws in the wrong direction, so it’s been reduced to this state. Its pulse has already weakened significantly.”

Hovering a few paces above the rocky ground, Alm fidgeted with the hem of his modest, verdant robe. “A quick fix for us now, I should think. Come now, Sven, haven’t you been babbling on about wanting to explore your new boundaries? Why not send these fellows off to somewhere a bit more interesting, and then we can fix things up as we like?”

Sven snickered. “As you like, you mean.”

“Just for a few thousand years!”

“Fine, then the next one’s my choice. But don’t blame me if they all die.” Looking down at the largest cities of this world, Sven’s lip curled up in disdain. He disliked worlds that strayed from the path of enlightenment and profound ascension, and so tended to transfer the inhabitants of such worlds to lands where the propelling force behind sentient evolution was centred upon the pursuit of Immortal Ascension, that is, the cultivation of the self to subvert the Laws of Infinity. There were hardly any living beings left in the boundless universe that could accomplish spatial displacement as flawlessly as Sven and to such an exaggerated degree, and so those life forms that he ferried between worlds on a whim would indefinitely remain at whatever destination he’d decided for them.

“Where will you send them?”

“Venara.”

Alm sighed. “You’re too cruel.”

Neither Sven nor Alm had ever attempted a largescale spatial displacement at such a distance, though Sven was surely the only one who could manage it. As far as he was concerned, sending the pathetic residents of this world to a higher realm was a gracious act. “While it might be dangerous, Venara holds innumerable mysteries and untold opportunities. Even the Primordial Gods were quite fond of it before they all died off.” A rare look of concentration stole away Sven’s domineering expression. “Besides, when was I ever some saint?”

Though Alm’s immortal smile remained unchanged, he was incomparably excited. He was very much looking forward to the experience of modeling his own planet. At Sven’s instigation, the Origin Energy for millions of kilometres in every direction had already begun to stir, a sure indication that the extensive process of relocating this planet’s inhabitants had already begun.