*song* ‘The Power of Love’ by Laura Branigan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUjp2qJ20yU

(please note: listen to this version of the song before, during after)

Watchers Entry, Star Date: 11.01.11.71
Date Received: 11.10.17
Ceresnoelle, House of Ell’M
English…
Recorded Data Stream Transmission

Protocols for Species Terra Post
Extinction of Mammoth, Samples Request

Specimens Preservations, Request
Transfer Data. Request
Request Denied.
Terra Post Species Termination. Alternate Protocols.
Request Paladium Assistance. Species Preservation.
Request Denied Postulate. Alternate Protocols.
Explain Alternate Protocols. Explain.
Terra Post Species Termination Alternate.
Explain.
Explain.

Data Stream Record. Watchers Records. Transfer.
Temporal Law Violation.
Request Paladium Assistance.
L’iel Ompuc Officer override Instruction Override.
Send to Valiant. Dream Project.
Valiant?
Paladium. Instruction. Temporal Message.
Send. To. Valiant.
Ceres. Send. To. Valiant.

This is a data stream record. On the Watchers
Ship…A distant Post. Bypass Ship’s records
And recorded as Ceres diary. Message sent to
Her sister back home, but instead, sent forward,
As a sort of message in a bottle to the present,
To avoid Temporal Violation; Diary entries are
Not monitored.

Ceres sat at the console before the view
Screen, observing surface species of the planet as
Usual. Her observations were of a dwindling
Wooly Mammoth population. She was sending
A message to the Postulate requesting
Permission to take specimens of The Last Wooly
Mammoths before the species fell victim to
Extinction. The Head office denied her request
Without explanation.

She sent an appeal to her Superiors at
The Paladium for assistance…but the only
Response she was given, or instruction, was
To send an encrypted message through time
To Valiant. Further private explanation
Came apart from this message. This is Ceres
Log entry of The Last Mammoth…as some
Kind of telepathic message sent through time.

She sat at the console on the bridge
Struggling with transmissions with the
Postulate dictating protocols, and alternate
Suggestions. She was very frustrated, unable
To understand the instructions given…send to
Valiant?

Apollo sat in the Commander’s, or Captain’s
Chair if you will, watching Ceres growing
Frustration as she sat at her appointed seat.
“Is there a problem that I can assist
You with, Ceres?”

She winced at the sound of his voice,
Ignoring it for the moment and continued
Reviewing her instructions from the Paladium. She
Had no idea what to do, this was not standard
Procedure…The instructions she was given were
So strange. “Valiant?”

“What?” Apollo asked, watching her with keen
Interest.

Suddenly she turned around to face him. She
Was at a loss of reasons what to do. “The
Mammoths…the population is dwindling fast.”
She glanced at the readings as a separate
Time line progressed the situation on the planet.”
“I sent a request to take specimens. “The
Request was denied.” Ceres was clearly
Confused.

Apollo took a deep breath to think carefully
At his seat. “Why would they deny your
Request to take specimens? There must be an
Appropriate reason.”

“I do not see one.” She simply said to him
With a calm but boiling expression.

Apollo tapped his finger on the console to
Focus. “This…makes no sense. Are their
Numbers chanced to recover?”

“No.” Ceres answered. “Their numbers are
Steadily falling. The planet is warming, climate
Change is allowing new species to cross paths…
Changing the distribution of feeding and
Herd migration. New viruses and bacteria are
Affecting Fauna growth- “

Camlo interjected. “Indeed, they are. The colder
Climates, aren’t adjusting well to the new seasons…
New plants and trees are spreading
Further North, along with insects and
Bacteria…The animal species are not all
Adapting well, especially the larger ones.”

Ceres stood with a growing restlessness, and
Began to pace about the bridge. “The herds
Are too spread out…New predators are moving
In…along with the migration of primitive
Hunting tribes. Numbers of the Mammoths are
Falling…Calculations clearly indicate an
Extinction of the species. Sub-species of
This animal have already spread far South…
There is no other foreseeable hope…”

“And you have contacted your superiors about
This?” Apollo asked.

“Yes.” She answered.

“And they said?” He asked.

Ceres hesitated. She was clearly told not to
Mention the name Valiant, or the instructions give.
“To record a diary entry and send a
Temporal message.”

“A Temporal Message?” Apollo asked. The
Words struck him hard. He had not
Heard that phrase since his days in
The Watchers Colleges. “Those are restricted
To superiors only…Those are bypass orders.”

“Bypass orders?” Ceres questioned. “I have
Never heard that before. Bypass?” She
Thought for a moment. “But then Temporal
History was not my course of study.”

“They are for Preservation.” Apollo told her...
“Those are Universal Aspects…One
Thing affecting another…Essential pieces
For the whole, again, those things are reserved
For superiors of the highest order…The Good
Of the Whole…Usually involving the Fate of
The Whole…Paradigm Projects. What does that
Have to do with one species?”

Ceres hesitated on his words and her instruction…
The name given, the course to follow…
The chartered path…the Message sent through
Time. Clearly Mysterious. But the fact that
Apollo knew these facts bothered her. “Why
Do you know this?”

“It was a subject I was told to study
By the Governor of Colleges.” He answered.
“I did not ask why.”

She thought seriously on his words…another
Strange answer. It quickly began to seem
As though pieces were previously set out for
Some plan…Perhaps even in her coming to
This post…Perhaps, dare she think it, even
In Apollo coming to this post. “And you,
Have you encountered this before…before
I came, in your post here?”

Apollo hesitated. “Only in the
Data I was given to start with…That it
Was an empty garden world…there were
No humans here…Until the Adam ship
Arrived...and then the Eve ship.”

“Was it by accident or was it deliberate?”
Ceres quickly asked.

Apollo blinked wide at the question. “I do
Not know…To be debated I suppose.”

“There are no accidents when worlds are
Settled…” Ceres told him. “Everything is
Connected…To play a deliberate part for
The whole of things…It is the timing that
Matters, more than anything.”

There was an alarm sounding at her
Seat, the panel’s console was lighting up
With flashing lights. Something was critical.
She quickly returned to her seat to review
The information… “The Time of this species
Is accelerating. Their numbers are falling
In their print of time. There is only 1 herd
Left…A Mammoth herd…5 animals left.
5!”

“That number reoccurs frequently at pivotal
Times.” Apollo commented.

“What?” Ceres wondered, shaking her head
As she tried to assess readings on the panel.

“The Hand of God.” Apollo said as he moved
To stand behind her and observe the panel.

“The Watchers College…the Postulate…”
He smiled. “Do not tell me you do not
Remember Primary Year?”

She simply stared at him.

“The fundamental Concepts of Watchers…The
5…5 fingers…The Hand of God.” Apollo
Responded rather proudly, he rarely made
Note of things she did not. “To Watch
And Observe Divine Intervention…To look
For those moments of the 5…Moments
Of Divine Intervention…When Times are
Critical…5 appear…”

Ceres shook her head refusing to see that
He made an observation that she had not.
She set the scans to slow down to the
Appropriate time units to closely monitor
The small family group of Mammoths. “5
Females…Oh No…”

“What is it?” Apollo hovered over her.

She grimaced at the closeness of his
Presence. “It was not fast enough…The Family
Group of females were migrating…crossing
A river, 2 drown…another 2 are weak, ill…
They will not survive…Only 1 older female
Is left…so fast, the time scans are taking
Too long to adjust to the time…She is
Alone…She is the last one.”

“I know these seasons of that area.” Apollo
Said, studying her panel, to her dismay. “Look
At those weather readings…The climate is
Changing…Severe pattern shifts…Difficult
For vegetation to grow. Hunting groups of the
Primitives have a difficult time searching
For game. Food is scarce. Many of the weak
Die off.”

She grew aggravated by his candor. “Thank
You for your assessment…There is still only
1 left…” She eyed him fiercely.

He sensed the determination glaring in her
Eyes. “You were instructed not to take
Specimens…There is NO way…One?”

“These orders make no sense.” She said,
Nearly growling.

“You can not defy the Postulate’s orders.”
He replied strongly.

Another alarm…Ceres immediately reviewed
Her console…Her eyes nearly exploded wide
Open in shock. “She is pregnant! The
Life signs are weak…But she is pregnant…
Oh No…”

“Probably due to the stress of the migration,
Her age…And the climate.” Apollo
Casually said…then his eyes turned to meet
Hers as she stared at him savagely. “Now,
Ceres…Do not get attached…You know
The rules of protocol…you can not…Besides,
The circumstances are laid out…ONE
Lone female left…Old, nonetheless…with a
Weak fetus inside her? This is beyond
Grim…this is a Fated end…Sad…”

‘Do not get attached?” She said. “Fated
End? SAD?” Her temper grew with each
Moment, frothing to a boiling rage. “Your
Lack of emotion and dim sympathy are
Astounding. You speak like some riddler
Of time.”

“What are you thinking then?” He laughed.
“To shun orders, break Protocol? Save ONE
Last pregnant female and her weak fetus.
For what? Some saving grace to argue
With our superiors? They will not listen, they
Have stated what is to be done.”

“They are WRONG.” She spat. “Their Logic
Is slanted by their Ego…Deformed by their
Ego.”

“You care for these animals. I see that…”
Apollo said with a gentle nod.

“I put them on that Ark,” Ceres
Said pinching her eyes shut at the memory.
“I selected…them to survive a cataclysm
That was not their fault…They were and
Are innocent victims…Not fated game
For time. I guided them to that ark.
I promised them they would be safe…
I promised them…Those Mammoths
Were the last to go, they would not break
Their family bonds. Do you have any idea
What it took to convince them? I sang
To them…songs of friendship and
Compassion and protection and love…to
Keep them safe…And they listened…And
They came…And I am forever bound to
That…Not some Fated end…to some
Far chance…To chance? No…”

Silence. A strained moment on the bridge.
“What will you do then?” He shook his head.
“Save ONE…for guilt?”

She held her head high to him. “I
Will do All that I can…and work to
Change the Postulate’s mind!”

“Now who is playing with chance? For
Hope? For virtue, what? To change the
Postulate’s mind?” Apollo laughed. “You
Would fare better to look for the Divine
Himself and ask to change the order of
The Universe, of ALL Universe for fairness
And kindness to All.”

Ceres rose to leave the bridge, she did not
Ask for a word of permission. Her mind was
Made up. “If you want to follow orders…
And not wait for political schemes to take
Their time to do things…that is your choice…
This is about extinction. Do you see that?”

“And you would challenge a law over
One Mammoth infant?” Apollo asked in
Disbelief…

Ceres shook her head as he moved to
Leave. “You follow orders on what is right
Or wrong as if you never knew what that is…
No wonder things take so long…” She laughed.
“Some things never change. Tell that to
The one that may or may not be born and
See how it waits for your reason…”
She departed in a transport immediately
To the surface…to an icy land
Thawing slowly from snow. A place that
Would one day be known as Russia.

Varence sent an additional communication
To her on the transport as she arrived at
The site in the primitive frozen wilderness.
“The calf will be ALONE…The last…You
Understand this? There is nothing you can
Do to change that.” He pleaded with her.

She ignored his words as if her determination
Were stone…the desperate plea of some
Fool for logic…Yes, play a pity dialogue
And call it logic, call it reason…Cowards
Have always said such things when they
Were too scared to do anything.
One always stands alone in hard
Decisions…when most so called logical
Cries are excuses for selfish excuses to
Complain, so they don’t have to do
Anything…There is always something to
Do for something right, the strong
Understand this, that is why it always
Feels like everything is against you.

“It will be ALONE, Ceres.” Apollo repeated.
“Consider the weight of that on it…
On you…What will you do, guide it, shield
It, protect it for its entire life?”

If she had to…She knew the answer…
Why are arguments always so
Riddled with attempted guilt?” To sway
The choices or the chance? He was talking
To himself then. She would not answer.

She focused on her mission and silenced
All further communication. As she was
Always taught, when the mission was
Critical…ignore the words of others
That try to sway you…They are not
Words of wisdom…they are curses of
Defeat. Focus on the passion in the
Heart and win.

Finally…she came to the place where
The Giant pregnant Mammoth lay…
She had been crossing a half-frozen river
With her small herd when an unexpected
Surge of the current came…and caused
The drowning of two…and deathly injuries
To the other two with huge shards of
Floating jagged ice…The elderly Matriarch
In the lead managed to survive…reached
The shore and collapsed…

Ceres raced to the old titan as she lay
Stretched out on the frozen grass of the shore,
Breathing hard…the Mammoth struggled
To breathe. With her mind she reached out
To her…the Old Leader was agonizing
From the loss of her family group. She was
Hungry and tired and trembling in fear
From the pain of exhaustion. Ceres
Soothed her with a melody of song
She had hummed once long ago to the
Bears…a lullaby of comfort, one that
Took her pain away and shared the
Warmth of a long-lost friend.

The Mammoths, in fact most beasts, were
Not simple-minded creatures at all. They
Had highly advanced ways of communicating
In simple sounds…complex emotions that
Were expressed in pictures, of thoughts,
Feelings and memories. They were aware,
Not dumb at all. But the awful thing was,
The Matriarch knew she was alone…and pregnant…
And the calf growing inside was fragile and
Weak from a very sparse feeding season…
The weight upon the animal was immense,
And not easily taken away.

But still, Ceres sang her song to the
Mother…The lullabies she only knew
From the Bears…One that she sang to
This old Mother as she touched her, and
Stroked her waist as it raised and fell
In heavy breaths…The calf inside her
Was very weak…so small, half grown…
Yet still, The Mother knew it was
There, and just how well it was.

This crushed Ceres, the knowing that
Matriarch had…As if Apollo’s fated
Cursed words had reached her to condemn
The baby inside…And her defiant passion
For animals, for Nature, rose within
Her like an invincible Force of Light
And gave her own feelings and music
And heart in her voice such strength
That it reached within the Mother
Mammoth, into the tiny calf inside
And forced the Light to grow there. Her
Song, its rhythm and tone…The rhythm
That she herself carried, the magic of
Her own…And somehow gave the
Baby’s heart a bright spark.
At first a flutter, then a beat that
Grew and shared her own hearts rhythm…
Then her heart was there in the
Calf…and the calf’s heart in hers…
Forever bound…Growing stronger with
Each moment…And her song grew…
And the music in her voice was
More than just a lullaby…it was a
Song of life…As it was for the Bears…
And that baby was going to grow…

And its Mother knew, which gave her
Hope again…Strength flowed through
Her through this song…The frozen air
Was then invigorating…And it was as if
All of Nature heard the song, the
Magic moment…and the skies became
Bluer, the wind kinder…even the
Sunlight seemed to sparkle.

Ceres watched the Mother Mammoth
For days…carefully, vigilant…viciously
Keeping predators and human hunters
Away…She even convinced the mighty
Bears to stay away and guard the
Mother…This was new…Nature became
A protector of this particular Mother…
Nothing was going to touch Ceres
Mammoth, even if the Earth had
To crack away for that…

And she kept singing that melody
For months as the baby Mammoth
Grew inside…Strong, happy…comforted…
The key to that miracle…The magic
In the lullaby…The music, the right
Song…The right rhythm...to make the
Heartbeat strong…that is how to grow
The baby…the right song…to put the
Life back in the heart…That is how
It happens…
The answers have always been there…
The cure…in the music mysteriously
Woven through inspiration into the hearts
Of musicians that were overcome to
Write lullabies and love songs…Why else
Would it be put there so passionately,
For if not to put some heartbeat
Where it needed to be…She had to put
It somewhere.

For months, the Last Mammoths
Lived this way, like a song…
And for a brief moment Nature found
Some peace, a guarded peace…
Just enough to make a miracle.

So, when the calf was born, and its
Tiny trumpet-like voice sounded, it
Was a call to remember…
Near and Far, Ceres watched…
Which of course drew the attention
Of Apollo and Camlo to the show…
The Last Little Mammoth’s life…
Every moment a lullaby…
Guarded safe and sound. When it was
Lost, Ceres came…when it was lonely,
She came…whenever it called, she
Came…She was like a Mother to
Both of them, and made sure they
Were happy.
Cries to the Stars, the moon…
In sunny skies, or stormy ones…
She was always there…watching them…
And when the Mother, in later years
Passed…and the calf, more grown,
Became truly alone…Ceres was
There even more. She raised him,
The little male calf…
She sang to him, played with him,
Guided him to safe pastures
And guarded him more ferociously
Than any Mother had…
A towering Mammoth he became,
Still charmed and listening to her
Lullabies. Nothing was ever going
To touch her Mammoth calf, nothing.

He may have looked like an impressive
Towering giant, but that Mammoth
Was a big baby.

And when the last Mammoth, her baby,
Died, she sang him his last lullaby
To sleep…Then walked away, cried her eyes
Out. And didn’t speak, in our terms of
Time…for thousands and thousands
Of years…

Not until that is, one day, when
She was on the ship…going to
Make a call home to her sister…
When by chance she heard Apollo
Talking to this strange voice
On the bridge…
Some gibberish about a Giant
Scheming throbbing…Fool, named
Oberon…to someone he chose
To tell some story to….

A scheme to write something funny
About a Lord Oberon…An enchanted
Titan of a Woman named Titania…
It was a scheme in two ways…
A tale of Magic…for the hearts
And minds of men and women…
And a scheme…To get Ceres to
Speak again…
And perhaps, over time…to wake
The Titan within her once again.

Valiant.