The time he spent in the world seemed to drag on endlessly, his smiles becoming fewer and farther between. His friends watched him, trying to comfort him, but unable to reach his wounded heart. And then one day, when the children were all grown up and having families of their own and the older generation lost the energies of youth, Kyan fell asleep with a smile upon his face and did not wake up.

At least, not in that world.

The pure white that surrounded him seemed too blinding and it seemed harder than ever to open his heavy eyes. He sighed wearily as he covered them with his arm, but there was also relief. He was finally free of the burden of watching over those outsiders and able to return to his husband's side. He wondered how long Aidan had to wait for him. The memory leapt into his tired mind just how Aidan had left him and he immediately sat up and began to look for him. He was alright wasn't he? The corruption had messed with Yang's circuits, so what had it done to Aidan's mind?

His eyes blurred a bit due to dizziness, but when they focused once more, he knew something was wrong.

"Where is he?" Kyan immediately demanded.

Yin and Yang were in their spherical forms, levitating up and down above each shoulder of the Master, who sat like an Emperor in his throne looking down upon the world. His brows rose as Kyan spoke and his cold lips curled into a slight smile.

"Gone," came the reply.

"Wait, what?" Kyan felt as if any warmth left within him had vanished. His stomach curled sickly inside him and he had to swallow hard to prevent the sensation from rising. He should not feel like vomiting in this virtual space, but he really did. "Yin said he was alive!

"Oh, he is," the Master continued, with riddles.

"I don't understand," Kyan wailed; he was so tired, he just wished to curl up in his man's arms, so he was safe and could sleep. "If he is alive, then why is he not here? Was he reincarnated in another world? Can I go and find him?"

"No," the Master replied. "You cannot. It is time for all outsiders to leave."

Kyan frowned, his head was beginning to hurt and this conversation was not helping. "You said that there were seven outsiders left in the archives. We just found five of them. What about the other two?"

"What are you saying?" The Master said, testily. "They are accounted for as well! Are you not an outsider? Should I not count you when I create a tally?"

"Then..." Kyan had an epiphany, his pale eyes lit up and tears began to fill them. "Then the other is..." his breath caught on a broken sob. "He thought he was just data."

"Oh and why would he have such a notion?" The Master was slightly curious. "I never indicated that he was such."

"The way you described the sentient data coming into being," Kyan explained as the tears ran freely down his face, catching upon his beaming smile. "The way they became aware, he felt as if this was true for him; that he had come suddenly from a sleeping state into consciousness."

"That is not what occurred," the Master replied, suddenly sounding bored. "His soul was just weak due to almost being absorbed by the System. The attempt failed, but it took a few reincarnations to strengthen it again. Only, he became indifferent and continued to drift, until he met one like himself. You. I told you that the souls of the outsiders attracted others of the same ilk, which is why you would often reincarnate in the same files. Anyway, I have much work to do, copying the files so that the world's can continue independent of my interference and rectifying any remaining corruptions. So it is time for you to leave."

"But I will die when I leave here," Kyan whispered, well aware what his fate would be outside of the archive.

"Such things are never left to chance," the Master gave him a smile that actually seemed warm and gentle, before he waved with a flick of his wrist and Kyan's vision once more went blank.

*****

"Captain!"

The tired looking officer lifted his head off of his desk and quickly wiped away the drool upon his stubbled chin as if he had not just fallen asleep in this awkward position once more.  Things had been a little hectic of late, with bickering small government officials demanding he have the Archive destroyed the moment that the last of the V.I.P's awoke, despite it now falling under the protection of Future Electronics who had bought the ownership of it from the entertainment company who had original found it.  Of course that company was no more, having become bankrupt due to the whole scandal that followed them trying to use the piece of alien technology as a playground for the rich.

Regardless, the Archive was still brimming with valuable information that could be priceless in the views of scientific research.  So the Galactic government had agreed in principal that the Archive's fate was Future Electronic's fate.  In other words, if the Archive produced any other problems, the fault would be blamed on the company and it would be ruined.  The Captain had therefore fielded the requests of these rebel politicians, saying that they would have to speak with Future Electronics about that, but he doubted that would be the end of it.  Besides, it was a mute point.  There were still people inside.

"Captain!  The five remaining V.I.P's have woken up!"

"Is everything well?  Any fatalities or sicknesses?"  The Captain asked straight away.  The last person to be released from the Archive had done so in such a manner that he had gone into shock, his body had a fit inside the pod and it took several medical officers to stabilise his vitals, before he fell into a coma.  His family were informed and whisked him away at the first opportunity, likely sticking him in a private hospital somewhere so he could recover fully.

"Yes," his subordinate informed him.  The Captain sighed with relief.  That meant it was over.  It had been a long couple of years, but the ordeal was finally over.

The station rocked in the tremor of an explosion.  "What the fuck now?" The Captain growled angrily.  His holographic screens flashed above his desk as one of the officer's on deck immediately contacted him.

"Captain!  The Archive is under attack!"

His fist landed upon the solid metal of the desk, the force denting it.  "I see we have a little informer on board who decided to squeal.  I wonder how many credits he was paid!  Contact Future Electronics!  I don't want to be in the firing line for some loose cannon's actions!"  It had been agreed, goddamit, that whatever the fate of the Archive, it was to be left in the hands of the extremely reputable company and it's very intellectual owner.  If anyone could utilise the massive amount of valuable data within the Archive and subdue the violent System within, it would be him.  No other hacker nor technology developer could compare.  But there would always been those who acted on their fears rather than their brains.

"No need," came the voice through another screen and before his eyes, a ship appeared from behind the Station, sending blasts of disruption particles towards the attacking ships with the intent to disable rather than destroy.  The latter ship, with its highly developed prototype technology succeeded in disabling one ship, while the other mercenary fled. 

Orion Hollister sat back in his Captains seat, blowing the unruly thick curls from his dark eyes.  "Phew!  I didn't think that would work!"

"Of course you did," a heavy, tanned hand fell upon his slender shoulder, causing Orion to glance up at the sculptured man towering over him.  He grinned, sheepishly, his bright white teeth contrasting against the beautiful deep colour of his skin.

"It's a good job the Master contacted us in advance," Orion said, giddily as he watched the station's tractor beams latch on to the drifting mercenary ship and drag it into a docking port. 

"As if they could break those shields you installed upon it," the former lieutenant Damien Harris replied, before bending down and placing a kiss upon the top of his lover's head.  "Now, let's go and collect our son."