Mars

A Ga-Matoran glanced up, feeling the icy coolness Ioro brought with him into the medical ward.

"I was summoned," Ioro said. "Another heat-stroke?"

"Not quite," said the Ga-Matoran. She looked down at her tablet, beckoned for him to follow. The ceilings were a bit higher here, allowing the Toa to stand upright as they navigated the halls.

"Patient is identified as Kylda, of the Lower East Sanctums."

"That is Kylda, formerly of the Eighteenth Tower of Knowledge, for the record."

"Mhm."

"What has happened? Is he alright?"

They rounded a corner. Various medical personnel scattered as they passed through the center of the ward. There were whispers. The Ga-Matoran finally stopped at another doorway, examining her tablet again.

"Hang on, let's see...You are the 'Ioro' listed as a direct associate of Kylda in the Ko-Metru central records, correct? I have a mask-record on file for you, but it seems it was from...uh...before."

She gestured vaguely up and down the Toa's body. Ioro flashed his Metru identification morosely. They entered the patient room.

There was a low bed, and various mechanica beside. Ioro reached the bedside in one stride. The figure lying there did not move.

"Kylda..." he mused to himself. Then, to the Ga-Matoran: "Tell me."

"He asked for you by name when they brought him in, but lost consciousness soon after. That was several hours ago. He was--"

"--What happened to his eyes?" Ioro interrupted. "Why the bandages?"

"Ahem. He was clearly overheated from wandering outside, but the most substantial injury was to his oculars. I'm afraid they are completely destroyed."

"What?! How..."

Ioro bent closer. The bandages were woven beneath Kylda's mask, hiding whatever terrible injury lay there. His mask...

"The eyeholes of his mask are...They appear to be..."

"Burnt," the Ga-Matoran said. "Yes. We've ordered a new one from the temple-vault, but I'm not sure that..."

She trailed off.

"He is dying."

"Yes. You arrived just in time."

"You are certain?"

"Yes."

"What can I do?"

"I don't believe there was anything that could have been done. The damage goes deeper than the apertures themselves. We have made him comfortable, but it will not be long now."

"I see."

"There is more: A representative of the Metru Council was here earlier, and she delivered me this directive. I have it...uh...right here. It's for you."

The Ga-Matoran stepped forward and offered a small tablet stamped with the Council Seal. Ioro took it and turned away to read.

For the eyes of Toa Ioro only. Summon Rau for this cipher.

Ioro shifted to his Mask of Translation, read further:

Report of a disturbance at the Second-Channel Observatory Sanctum, Ko-Metru sub-district fourteen. Target of interest is Kylda, formerly Inaku Kylda, formerly of the Eighteenth Tower of Knowledge (position reverted). Intelligence suggests that this Matoran intended to engage in further repetition of illegal astrological activities.

You are designated a direct associate of this target, with knowledge of the target's history. A representative was sent to the Po-Ko Medical Ward, Ko-Metru sub-district nine, where Kylda was admitted, but it was determined that interrogation was not possible at that time. Your directive now is to go to the Second-Channel Observatory Sanctum, Ko-Metru sub-district fourteen, and determine what activities may have taken place there.

Any data derived from these activities is to be destroyed, in accordance with the Prohibitions. Report back to Station, sub-level three of the Coliseum when complete.

Ioro looked up from his tablet. Kylda's breathing was shallow. The mechanica chirped steadily. The Ga-Matoran waited at the door.

"Give me a moment with him, please."

The Ga-Matoran backed out of the room.

Ioro stood still, gazing down at his friend. He looked small to Ioro--all Matoran did, of course. But even smaller now, lying there. It had been too long since they had spoken. He'd worried that Kylda might do something, left to his own devices. Return to...old obsessions.

Ioro glanced back to the doorway. Low conversation in the central ward beyond. No inquiring eyes. Quickly, silently, he knelt beside the bed, hand to Kylda's scorched forehead, and shifted to his Mask of Telepathy.

Down through the shifting psionic waves, through the twisting mental pathways he searched for fleeting remnants of consciousness. Thoughts flickered past, muddled and indistinct. He pushed on, seeking a place of cohesion, of active awareness.

At last, blurry impressions began to resolve, and he felt a faint presence.

"Kylda, I'm here," he said with his mind-voice. "Do you know me?"

"...Ioro?" the answer came slowly.

"Yes."

"Ioro, you are...You came! Where are we? It's dark..."

"We are in your thoughts, my friend. Perks of being a Toa."

"I can hear you. I think I've been...dreaming."

"You've been unconscious."

"They gave me some of the numbing fruit at first, and that helped."

"Are you in pain?"

"No, no...not anymore."

"That's good. I'll tell the healers."

"How long..."

"Just a few hours, I think. They found you on the street and brought you in."

"No, I mean...how long do I have left?"

"...What?"

"I can feel it, Ioro. I was...crawling. I was outside for a long time, in the sunslight. It was too much; I can feel it in my core."

"Let's not rush to--"

"Don't lie to me."

A long pause. Ioro searched for the words.

"I'm sorry, Kylda," he said at last. "There...there isn't much time left."

"I see. It's my own fault. I couldn't stop myself."

"Please tell me you didn't. You know the Prohibitions."

"I made a mistake, Ioro."

"Why? After all that happened, after losing your place at the Tower..."

"I don't know why. I couldn't help it, somehow. It's been on my mind for so long. The work was...It was unfinished."

"It should have stayed unfinished."

"No, it had to be done...And I did it, Ioro. At long last, I did it!"

Another pause.

"Tell me."

"I snuck back into my old observatory--you know the one. I planned it all out, brought in all my things. I'd been doing the calculations for years. It was easy to make the proper adjustments, just like before."

"Just like before...so you violated the Prohibitions after all. I had hoped--"

"Curse the Prohibitions! You know how I feel about them."

"Yes, of course--"

"--Divining of the suns and moons tells us just as much as the stars. More, even! They are a direct link to the mind of Mata Nui. A terrifying thought, that we Matoran could look the Great Spirit in the face. I've always said the seers are too small-minded, too set in their ways."

"--Spare me the speech, Kylda. You sound like the street-prophets."

"Don't say that. You know that hurts me."

"I'm sorry."

"Anyways...well, I did it! The suns were just rising at dawn. I adjusted the great lenses of the telescope and trained it at Akuavo, the upper sun, and affixed my old tinted lenses. I kept some of them, you see..."

"Of course you did."

"And I looked...and I looked through...I saw..."

The telepathic voice grew quieter.

"Kylda?"

"Saw..."

"Kylda stay with me."

"Ioro...my friend...I think..."

"I'm sorry, Kylda. I should have been there. I should have stopped you."

"I think I saw...no...No!"

The mindspace agitated, convulsed. Ioro felt sick, but held on.

"Can you hear me?"

"I saw it! Oh, I saw it for sure, and it burned me, Ioro. It burned me in my eyes, in my brain. I thought the lenses would be protection enough, but I was a fool."

"That's not true."

"I looked into the eye of Mata. I looked and he judged me!"

"It's over now. There's no need--"

"--Behind the suns, Ioro. It was there."

A shudder went through the mental pathways. Ioro felt a pang of something. Dread...and that old curiosity.

"...What was there, Kylda?" he asked after a moment.

"What did you see?"

==========

The observatory was dark and cool, well-shielded from the warm air outside. Ioro had finished his catalogue of items, wiped the remaining records from the various memory crystals. Not a trace was left. It had been a long process, sifting through the various materials Kylda had brought in, making sure the Prohibitions were kept. The long sweltering night was almost over by now.

The Ice-Toa brushed dust from his hands. He was overdue to report in. Station would have a reprimand for him, in all likelihood. He was normally very punctual. Very precise.

He stepped toward the low door.

"...What was there, Kylda? What did you see?"

He stopped, hand hovering over the access panel. Slowly he turned, fixed his eyes on the mechanism that dominated the small, domed space.

"I must tell someone, or I'll never be at peace. But you must promise..."

The telescope was of the usual kind: a shaped flute of metal, fixed to a stone pedestal. The great crystal lens was not visible beyond where it intersected with the dome.

"Promise that you will tell them. That my work...our work...will not be in vain."

"Kylda, I don't know."

"Swear it!"

Dread...and curiosity. The eye-piece branched from the base of the telescope, a blank eye pointing downward.

"I...I swear."

There was a dark spot on the floor of the chamber, a small scorched hole burned into the stone.

"Behind the eyes of Mata, Ioro...Behind the suns. I saw...another. A greater sun. I saw it. Stark and terrible, in a greater void. And not only that: a thousand lights, ten-thousand...all around. All staring at me out of the emptiness. Unreadable. And then pain. And then dark."

Ioro realized that he had forgotten to remove the last of the tinted lenses Kylda had affixed to the eye-piece.

He shook himself and stepped forward, stooping beneath the curved metal. That would have to be destroyed as well...

"I don't understand."

"Maybe you can't...Maybe...But know this: After I fell and crawled in the fire of Mata's judgement, this question was burned into my mind: If our suns are truly the eyes of Mata Nui, as the mad sages claimed of old...Then what...then what...then what...then what..."

"It's alright, Kylda. I'm here. It's okay, you don't have to--"

"--then...what...Eyes!"

The telescope stood above him with its great lens pointing skyward.

"...are...looking...down!"

The eye-piece stared at him expectantly.

"...down upon...Him...upon...Us...from that greater void?!"

Dawn crept over the horizon.

"Tell me!"

And then pain.