“*Ahem*,” Patriarch finally speaks, “I believe you’ve come for a history lesson.  Since this has been my storyboard to watch, I think I shall add to the conversation.  Though this world was experiencing its zenith, the moral corruption grossly outweighed all the value these technological trinkets offered.  You will know by now that I was assigned to this world to guide the counterparts to our XI unit, with each generation having its moments of progress, along with its evidence of decay.  In truth, had Warner and Jackie not heeded my caution, this storyboard’s inhabitants would’ve become so thoroughly evil, we would’ve had to erase everything here to prevent them from joining Ultimax.  Fortunately, the two realized their faults, improving to a point that you cannot find much evidence of their former, wicked life.  Praise God!”

    “Where’s your staff?”  Faye blurts out.

    He laughs.  “Oh, my old crystal staff?  I haven’t bothered with that in years.  With my suit’s many upgrades, I’ve no need of it.  Besides, if I held that grandfather clock of a stick while teaching for Lightspeed Lab, no one would be able to read the text.  As far as the eyepatch goes, I only wear it for the fans’ sake, even though I can see right through it.”

    Gigi lights up at this reference.  “That’s right!  Lightspeed Lab made those ancient Bible lessons Mom makes us watch!  I love James and Emily!”

    Vahnna’s eye twitches.  “Ancient.”

    “Hypocrite,” Duplica scolds, “I’m older than you are, old lady.  Well, I’m kind of older than you now at least.  It’s funny what happens when storyboards’ timelines aren’t in sync.  Good thing they fixed that.”

    With her hands on her hips, Vahnna leans over and interrogates Cat Rug.  “That’s right!  What’s with you waiting a thousand years to have kids, young lady?”

    “Eh,” she responds, “It’s the culture in our time.”

    “Like moldy beans it is, Cat!”  Jo is setting this record straight.  “Most people in our storyboard get married as young as forty.  I only waited a century to have a family because I felt like it.  You’re the one who specifically made your poor husband wait a millennium to have kids, and all for the sake of number puns.  Weirdo.”

    Duplica pulls her head back in surprise.  “Weirdo?  Our storyboard is a colony of future XI, so our calendars don’t match up.  I specifically waited to have kids so the date ranges between XI and XXII would line up to avoid age record complications on paperwork once the two were smashed into one universe.  How is any of this weird, Jocelyn?”

    Noin is spaced out.  “Where should I start with that question, Cat?”

    “Didi died.”  Vahnna has decided it’s time to start the story again.

    “What?”  Kammy is crushed.  “What do you mean, ‘Didi died?’  I mean, don’t tell me she ceased existing in a physically functioning fashion.  What happened to her?  How could you just drive such a dagger into my soul, and with no warning?”

    Vahnna checks her lipstick as she continues talking.  “After everyone died in the last war with all the robots, Didi just couldn’t stay around with all the death.  She set out on her own adventure and was never heard from again.  The reality is that she was captured by some dude and had her skin slowly zapped of its beauty over the course of many years.  Horrible tragedy, really.”

    Kammy’s tearstained cheeks tremble as this news hits her harder than Vahnna had expected.  “She…she was my friend.”

    The surprised lady quickly rushes to the teenager and wipes her tears.  “Baby, I didn’t realize she meant so much to you.  I’m sorry for not being more careful.  Will you forgive me?”

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