Faye continues. “What if the fact AB and Missy were genetically modified for each other was already the Ultimate Machine in action and we all just assume it’s hunky dory? Maybe they’re the Ultimate Machine and we got lucky. Maybe it’s you and me, which is why all the attention is on you, as far as the System Guards are concerned. I mean, AB and Missy get married and within about twenty years of their marriage, the System goes from an infinite sea of universes to only one? Who’s to say we are only one universe away from the dreaded prophecy coming true?”
Scratching his nose, Ent asks, “Faye, are you seriously freaking out about this?”
As Ent looks at her, she shyly rolls her eyes, chatting back, “I would like to get married, and without dying, preferably.”
Slightly shaking his head, he asks, “But why do you think it’s us? Are you a genetically modified female weapon sent to corrupt me?”
She pauses for a second then shrugs, “Why don’t you ask Catherine Antonia Sky? Our entire universe is one giant experiment, blending all the DNA of the System for a storyboard full of the Ultimate Beings, and because of our ancestries like that of the Ancyro, that would make any of us an Ultimate Machine. And we all have the DNA of both AB and Keb, and if we come from all previous storyboards, wouldn’t that include the DNA of the problem siblings from CCCXLI? That means everyone in the Dogwood Galaxy is just as corrupt as Zocar. This is a disturbing revelation.”
“Faye,” Elf says with a raised eyebrow, “calm down. Let’s just ask.”
“No, wait!”
“Meg,” says Elfie with Faye looking at him very annoyed, “can you, or Mom, expound upon the possibility that the Ultimate Machine might actually refer to the forbidden marriage of two individuals that would mean the end of the System?” This question stirs up the group, getting funny looks from the teachers while Kammy now looks at Paul like he’s got a contagious disease.
Lady Duplica and Meg XI both begin to speak, so Meg lets Cat take the floor. “Baby, the Ultimate Machine was a misinterpretation of the name Ultimate Maximum. Think of how the two titles sound and you can see how the time leaks of the great clash between this foe and AB easily resulted in several civilizations across the System having their own ideas of what was going on. Different villains thought they could create or become the Ultimate Being, not knowing this gaudy designation was actually referring to the being with the face of the author of our story. AB and Max look like the System Director for the practical purpose of people recognizing AB as the choice for being the SG leader with the author’s stamp of approval on AB’s face. Max is AB from the original SBVI, so of course he looks like him. The details of the Ultimate Machine were referring to what would’ve happened if Max had convinced AB to join him, much like how A-Tron made a similar devastating decision in XII. However, this was an if statement, not a settled fact of future events. AB refused to join Max, and now, we benefit from his moral character to stay true to biblical principle. That’s all it is, hon.”
Ent subtly looks at Faye, hoping she’ll now voice any further concerns she may have, but all she does is give him expressions of violent intentions once she notices his eyes focused on her. He finally nano-chats, “Well? Does that answer your question, or is there still something lingering in your mind?”
“Yes, wondering if I can fit your body into the school vending machine comes to mind, but I would miss you eventually, so I guess you are safe for now.” Faye gets a laugh for this one. She continues, “I guess it still bothers me. I like you, and I don’t want such a thing to be true. I just find the possibility eerily strong, that’s all.”
“Faye,” Elfie says with compassion in his nano-chat voice, which is much more audible than you might be thinking since nano-chat is literally a mind-to-mind conversation anyway, “what does it matter?”
Inner Man Theatre 