The lesser evil... Aeleas' words echoed in Kir's mind. The weight of history behind those three words was the same, no matter if Aeleas knew of Earth's history or not.
Aeleas continued, "There were always other ways, but only one other price. The condition for departing without the anomaly they brought from their realm would be... total. Not simply all life on our worlds, but all life in this universe. Everything reduced to a single observer... and that they couldn't do. Not once their children fled them... punishing them as the price for testing the way out."
Aeleas spoke her next words with a sense of finality. "What I chose was to spare our world from a mad god."
"And in doing so, become one," Kir spoke bitterly.
"I'm a monster, not a god. That fate I leave to you." She stood, and the backdrop behind her resolved into a true reflection of reality. "The world died yesterday. For your sake, I am willing to make one final offer."
