Lukai had prepared everything and was content.

  Two arenas were empty and fully charged. He announced he had some special guests and asked all the OFF members to train in other places.

  No one should spot them or interrupt them. Lukai had prepared tracking as well, to check who was curious enough to try to observe them. He took a look around and nodded.

  All was set.

  He slowly went to the Gate where they had agreed to meet. It was 09:58 a.m. PF time. They should be there within a minute.

  Si was always punctual. Luna—not really, Lukai had a thought. But she was the first to show up.

  Visibly sleepy. This, too, Lukai remembered well.

  “I was traveling here many times; I am familiar with the OFF territories, but I never released Taj before,” Luna said and whispered something. Lukai couldn’t hear clearly.

  The hologram materialized and looked around. “The old Deserts, the old camp number twenty? Do I correctly detect the barrier also?” he asked.

  Lukai nodded.

  The OFF camps were mostly low buildings—strings of villages, with agriculture surrounding each of the spots. The land was dominated by gently rolling terrain and vast grasslands. In the distance, a river was visible, and, on the horizon, a vast water reservoir.

  No sandy deserts were left.

  Lukai was aware that the Sect tried to terraform the Deserts in 50’ and 70’ ACD. Thirty years later, artificial energy scientists caught up and started to terraform terrain with Crystals’ energy.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  The whole Planet One was remade successfully in 124 ACD only, after tests on Moon One. Humanity was afraid to transform the entire planet without any evaluation done somewhere else. This time they planned it not to cause another event like the Disruption.

  This spot was indeed the old Deserts; this hologram was correct. Though, in the Sect’s times, deserts covered most of the planet. However, this hologram knew which camp from the old times it was; intriguing.

  The design of camps, arenas, and the energy barrier to protect Abilitiers from artificial energy—it all was based on the old designs made by the Sect’s Commander. An old material found in the Academia’s case—currently missing.

  Lukai decided to answer in a way to probe this—what? Device?

  “An interesting observation and question. Yes, we set up our camps in the place of the old ones, as you said. The energy barrier is the same as it was in the Sect’s times; we improved it slightly—” He wanted to say more but noticed he wasn’t being listened to.

  The hologram was very concentrated on the water, visible in the distance.

  “I can see that our Salty Lake caught your attention. It shouldn’t be there. It had appeared around one hundred years ago, and no one could confirm exactly how. Not only that, but it also resisted terraforming, which surprised all the scientists then. Currently, it is the deepest hypersaline water spot on Planet One,” Lukai said.

  The hologram sighed and didn’t comment on it.

  “We set up our headquarters here after we restored nature. Shadows took over the old territories of the Sect. Unio, then called UU—Urbes Unio, cities alliances—they were spreading all over other lands,” Lukai added.

  “Terraforming, fascinating. I was engaged in these projects; in fact, it was my specialization. To see it being changed so beautifully. And that it is still called the Deserts but only because of the history, when in fact there are no vast sands, no barren territories, and no transformed people roaming around. It is amazing,” the hologram said slowly.

  Engaged in the old attempts at terraforming? Transformed people roaming around? Lukai would need to check it later.

  “I am happy I could see it again. Thank you,” the hologram added, and then bowed to Lukai in the old Sect’s manner.

  Very odd, Lukai had a thought. But he appreciated the gesture.

  Then Si arrived; he was two minutes late.

  The place that was ready for the weapon evaluation was just near the Gate, he showed which one.

  They split. Si said the day before that he wanted to talk privately with Luna. Lukai agreed. His role was to engage the hologram.