“Ah. The servitors. No. They’re vermin, Elena. The empire only needed them because they’d grown so weak and decadent. They’ll be exterminated. According to the deep archives, one of their sects was ordered to continue serving the Axiom in secret, and they might try to stop us from seizing the empire’s facilities. Apparently there’s a sort of cult devoted to protecting Axiom secrets, safeguarding sensitive installations from interference, and exterminating any sentient races that might discover the existence of the Axiom. The Axiom are fragile, for gods, and depend on secrecy to protect them in their vulnerable state.”

Elena frowned. “A cult… working to protect the Axiom? Not to protect the universe from the Axiom?”

“Ah, yes, you see? ‘Join our cult, and protect our oppressors!’ That wouldn’t be a very convincing sales pitch for the young vermin, would it? Only a few key servitors in the cult are supposed to know the true purpose of their organization. Most of the rank-and-file are meant to believe they’re protecting the universe from the Axiom’s return – don’t disturb them, and maybe they’ll never wake up. In reality, the cult is ensuring the safe return of the Axiom, once their projects come to fruition.”

Elena shuddered. Poor Lantern. “But why would any of the Liars want to help their old masters?”

“Oh, they’ve been promised power when the Axiom returns, their own systems to govern, things like that. It’s all unimportant now. I’m going to erase the empire’s whole plan.”

“I’m not sure destroying one master race by becoming a master race is a good idea, Sebastien.”

“A master race? No, no. Just a few select masters.” He still had his arm around Elena, and he gave her a squeeze. “You can’t study society without realizing how stupid individuals are. I joined the goldilocks mission hoping I’d have the opportunity to plan a society from the beginning, to set initial conditions for ideal outcomes, but even so, I knew there would be flaws, outliers, malicious idiots, well-meaning idiots, all the termites that gnaw at the structure of any worthy enterprise. But now, I can eliminate all that disorder, and make sure everyone pulls together, in the right direction. I never understood this, until a few days ago, but most life in the universe… it’s just biomass, isn’t it? No more important than a swarm of plankton or a field of mold. It’s just a resource to be exploited.”

“I’m not sure I agree,” Elena said.

“You will, soon enough. Just let me modify one of my neural implants – all the ones I have on hand would turn you into a mindless obedient tool, and you deserve better than that. Don’t worry. Right now, you’re just blind to the possibilities, but I’ll open your eyes.”