Dross and E.V.0 were walking together through a small pearl-white passage, that was creating itself in front of them out of the strange material the white cube consisted out. He was slowly recuperating from the effect of that blasted pendant, but still wasn't feeling stable enough to walk on his legs alone. So he appreciated the cold shoulder of his possible saviour to assist his shaky walk. A thick lump appeared in his throat when thinking about what could possibly be the plan of this Eternal. Dross swallowed his worries and asked with fear resonating within his voice the question, that burned on his tongue:

"I don't expect at all, that you help me with my issues, and have because of that made following up with me. If there is something I can do, to convince you, E.V.0, helping me to witness the day after today; consider it done. Be it legal or not, I don't care anymore . . .I don't wanna die . . .especially not anymore after what happened in the last days."

E.V.0 was listening silently, nodding to every word spoken, just to burst out to a hearty chuckle. She caressed his slightly damaged ear softly with her left hand and inspected him thoroughly, her eyes lighting up in a friendly purplish-red:

"It is excellent to hear that you have something or someone, that matters enough to you that you refuse to accept death. Very admirable and slightly cute.", E.V.0 pinched him softly in his black-furred cheek, "But don't be ridiculous; I have already made up my mind. My body might be steel, but my heart, my soul, is not. I will help you get rid of that nasty issue of yours."

"Then why the walk? Why the hostility from before?"

E.V.0 stopped in motion and shifted her weight to be able to hug Dross, which she did before continue talking:

"I like to make a scene, that's all. Have not many to talk towards down here, so I might have developed some annoying habits and a pinch of unnecessary drama. All that to spice up my dreary existence in this high tech prison. And regarding the walk? I want to make it right for once. I want to get to know and talk to the person personally, that I am about to save and recreate as a child of my own. Unlike those unknown bastard children of mine, that are getting called 'demigods' by the counsel. They are piloting my babies without my consent. Dross, I feel that your journey is far from over and that it would be a loss letting you already go. You seem to matter to my son as well as this lovely snow elf. I ask you of one thing tho. I would like, that you will, after all, that is over, address me as . . .no, that would be foolish. You have already a family up there; parents, cousins and siblings . . . Forget what I -"

Dross was interrupting her shift into dread, silencing her by returning the hug:

"I think I get what you are meaning. You won't be able to rescue me, being still inside my fleshy body, will you? I will die and be reborn as an Eternal, am I right? And if that is the case, I would be more than honoured to see you and call you my 'mother' . . .I guess, that was what you wanted to ask me, wasn't it?", a slight nod confirmed Dross' suspicion, "And besides: I was born an orphan, who got taken in by the church. There is no family I know of, that you would take me away from, besides the family your son has built up around his name."

Dross could feel E.V.0 trembling softly as if she was trying to hold back her impossible to shed tears. He gently stroke over his cold shoulder, and she looked up to him with bright purple eyes:

"That would be nice. . .thank you, Dross. But now for the second reason for the walk. I want to show you something interesting and introduce you to someone special. Let us go to my into a laboratory turned prison cell. We don't have much time, but it should last for a quick intermezzo with my dearest partner Unimata."

The duo continued to walk through the self-replicating corridor until it made way to the maybe dirtiest room in the whole cube: E.V.0's laboratory. Every inch of the walls got plastered with high tech machinery and screens, partly built robot parts got scattered around all over the workbenches. But the thing in the centre of the room was quickly catching Dross' interest. Hanging from the ceiling from countless tubes and cables connected to various machines, a fully functional robotic frame was presenting itself to him. The body was barely taller than Dross, he suspected 210 cm top, and got made out of a strange blackish light-absorbant metal. An imposing and threatening looking shadow figure bending and swallowing the light around it. He tried to feel the metal and got caught off-guard so heftily, that he withdrew his paw immediately. This metal felt strange. Hard and at the same time not; He felt it reacting to his touch like a fleshy body. E.V.0 noticed amused his interest and curiosity and explained gladly that, what he just laid his hand on:

"This here, my dear Dross, Is a project I have finished recently and am currently buffing out the details. This frame might not be as tall and impressive looking, as my other works, but its abilities are nothing to scoff at. You might know . . .no, I better let my assistant explain to you this particular work. Uni!? Where are you hiding again? We have a guest."

"Over here, love!"

Dross followed the sound of the young metallic voice and saw . . . E.V.0? Sitting on a workbench on the other side of the assembly hall, was an Eternal, who looked like an exact miniature-sized copy of the one beside him. She jumped down from the bench and jumped happily over to them, missing out on all that elegance E.V.0 was showing off earlier. Unimata was stopping in front of them and looked at the, for her, really tall duo; a smirk placed on her head. The mechanical mouth of this copy was frozen in a state of constant smiling. E.V.0 next to him buzzed in annoyance and shook her head:

"Can you please stop impersonating me in my absence and change back into your true self Unitama, dear?", she looked, being slightly uncomfortable about the situation, over to Dross, "Cyber automatons, you know. Always trying to strife after their spiritual partner. But this particular fella took it a bit too literally."

Dross inspected Unitama now more closely, witnessing herself changing her body into her real form. The body of hers started rippling as her limbs and body changed form in a mesmerisingly fluid motion. A few seconds later, the E.V.0 clone vanished, and a joyous metallic bundle of energy was whipping back and forth in front of him. Her new body was still slightly resembling the one she had before, but now with intact and far shinier bits and pieces. Her head changed into a feline-like helmet with a black screen projecting her holographic bright-green eyes. All over her body had appeared purely cosmetic welding seams, a detail she was surely copying from her spiritual partner to look more alike:

"I wish you a good day, newcomer. I am Unimata, gifted to my dear master by Terminus, and am now the personal assistant of lady E.V.0. I saw that you were inspecting our latest project, and I would be overjoyed telling you everything about it.", E.V.0 picked her up and placed her on a higher up platform granting Unimata access to the frame, "This bad boy was created by us, as we tried to reproduce the strange genetic oddities of my body. Project 'Changeling' might still not be able to grant its pilot the full control over their own molecules, reshaping it in any way possible, but we were able to give it an impersonating ability. The pilot only has to ingest the genetic code of the person they want to change into, and Changeling will turn its malleable body into a replica of them; even down to the body odour. All it needs is the blood, hair, spit and a tiny skin sample of the target. That is our both precious baby!"

Unimata, who was gesticulating ferociously while explaining project 'Changeling' eventually lost ground and fell, just to be caught, with a swift movement of E.V.0, in mid-air. She patted Unimata lovingly and then let her sit down on E.V.0's shoulder. She looked over with excitement written all over her inexpressive face towards Dross:

"Considering the fact, that I felt a special connection going on between you, Dross and your lovely elven companion, I thought about using 'Changeling' as your possible new body. Just feed it with your DNS, and you could still rock your new life in your ravishingly soon-to-be-former self together with that beauty."

Dross was visibly embarrassed by the direct call-out about Raja and him. He couldn't deny, that he developed quite a liking towards that stunning snow elf, that was a fan of his since his most humble beginnings. He loved her attitude and her when she was smiling at him.

Seeing Dross like that, E.V.0 let out an amused buzzing sound of her speakers. Dross coughed trying to recollect himself and answered with a bright glimmer in his citrin eyes:

"I am truly at a loss for words, E.V.0! This frame is gorgeous looking, and its functions are stunning! Using the abilities of a cyber to develop such an imposing robot, that is brilliant! I would love it to have such a beaut as the body for my next life!", he looked over at Unimata, whose display showed a smiling face, "Your baby, eh? Does that mean I should call you mom as well after getting reborn, my adorable Unimata?"

"Please do!", Unimata's screen showed now a pulsating heart.

"Heavens!", Dross said while laughing out happily.

But E.V.0 stepped in into this tomfoolery, interrupting the joyous dialogue. She was now holding an amulet in her hand, she offered to Dross:

"There is, however, still a thing that needs to be taken care of. We need the assistance of the father of all Eternals; my husband, Demiurg. Only he can stabilize your shimmering soul and prepare it for safe injection. He is captured in this complex as well but beyond my reach. With this token of mine and Terter's words of assurance, Demiurg will, however, be down to help you."

Another unknown name Dross has never heard off. Another survivor of the great cataclysm. Was he an Eternal as well? Must be, because he was still alive. With curious, wide open, eyes Dross asked E.V.0:

"And who is this Demiurg?"

"Demiurg is a son of Chóros, the one you made already contact with; he is a . . .no! I don't want to spill Terter the fun. Just ask him the same question, when you are approaching Demiurg's cell, will you?", E.V.0 grabbed Unimata and placed her on the floor again, "We have to leave now, Uni, but I will return shortly with work for us. Please prepare 'Changeling' for us."

"Sure thing, love. Safe travels, greet Terminus from me! And the best of luck for you, Dross!"