Interstellar Age

Chapter 319 Starting Over

Erich sat in front of his father with a stoic expression. He had seen and been through too many things to be surprised by this sudden revelation. And yet he still had a hard time believing it. Because of this, he could only get a single question out of his mouth after staring in silence for some time. 

"You knew?" 

Heinrich smiled for the first time that Erich could remember. In his past life, he had known his father for eighteen whole years before he was disowned. A mistake he did not intend to make this time around. And during that time, his father had never once smiled at him. It was almost like a dream, a dream he wished for in his youth, but had forgotten long ago. But what came next was even stranger. 

"Of course... You didn't think you just inherited the ability to look into the past, present, and future by random chance, did you? From the moment your mother conceived you, I was responsible for the experimental serum which eventually gave you your powers.

Well, partially, first I had to get it approved by the Party. But you would be surprised how willing those old fools were to have a trump card like this hidden from the galaxy. So why don't you answer the question? How many years do we have before everything falls apart?" 

Erich's mind was in a state of disarray, as he blurted out the number, followed by a minor correction.

 "Thirty years... but wait, we would have had another fifty if it weren't for a mistake I made..." 

Heinrich was instantly curious by these words, and Erich spent the next few hours getting the man up to speed on what had happened in his past life... He didn't bother holding anything back, the only thing he didn't mention was that Tia had developed sentience, and was an integral part of his rise to power. 

After hearing all of this, Erich's father contemplated what he had been told in silence for some time. Before finally speaking up his thoughts.

"Hmm... Your abilities were far less developed than we hoped they would be. It's a miracle you actually made it back... Alright... Well, if what you say is true, I will need to speak to the Supreme Leader immediately. You were designated as a successor to the Empire for a reason. And this is precisely it. 

From what it sounds like, we have several years before the Terminus War begins, but only eighty years before the Naraku invades the Galaxy. I will make sure your occupation is changed from the Star-Fighter Corps.... It might take a few years, but you will be put on the fast track to leadership from the start this time around...

I hope you learned from your mistakes, and won't create any controversies in this timeline that will negatively affect your public image. Take two weeks off and make yourself a plan... After that you will begin WRAITH Training. Since you already became a W-7 in your previous life, it should be much easier for you to do so this time around. 

I will also move up the timeline of your training. You have already seen enough action, so you will go straight through the pipeline. It should only take you two years to complete at a maximum. Afterward, I will have you attached to the Supreme Leader's Security Detail where he will groom you for leadership. As for shoring up our defenses for the eventual Terminus War, you can leave all of that to me. Get some rest, Son... I can only imagine the absolute mind-fuck you are going through right now..." 

After saying this, Heinrich left. Erich's tale left him with many things to start preparations for. As for Erich he crawled upstairs and laid down in his bed. Where he immediately began to search the Grid for information on the only two of his lovers from his past life who he would be able to make contact with before leaving the Empire. 

Hilde Kuhne, AKA Mirage was a deep cover agent, right now she should still be working with Splinter, and because of this there was simply no way that Erich would be able to find any information about her that the Empire didn't want public. 

As for Erika... She had just made her debut not long ago, and was only fourteen or fifteen years old right now. To approach her now would be wildly inappropriate. But Erich still couldn't help but look at the girl's latest music video. In his past life he hated this kind of music, but now... Now he couldn't help but feel lament when listening to it. 

Lament for a life he had left behind. A life where he had let his lovers down due to his own self-hatred. A life where he let Erika down. She was his Empress, and the mother of his children... And yet... Yet he had cast her aside for the sake of a political alliance with Lunaria. A political Alliance that had never come to fruition.

Come to think of it... How would he approach these women in his life... Wait... Wasn't he supposed to be taking a flight to Germania in two weeks? One that he was supposed to meet Yumi on? If he did not make that flight...

Then he would never have the Chance of meeting Yumi, and if he never met Yumi, he would never meet Ayumi. If that happened, Aiko would never be born! No... He absolutely had to be on that flight, no matter what. 

However, it was moments after thinking this that Erich received a message over his NeuroLink from the Government. It was a notification of his transfer to the Germanic Star-Marine Corps as an officer. Because of this, Erich would now be attending the Naval Academy on Germania like he had in his past life. His flight would be the same fated flight that he had met Yumi on all those years ago.... 

But this didn't make sense. Didn't father say he was supposed to be joining the WRAITHs? He was just about to go ask the man when he received a message from his father. It was encrypted in a way that only Erich could view it. 

The message basically told him not to worry, he would not have to go through the Naval Academy again due to his circumstances. All he needed to do was show up and get registered on his first day. Then he would immediately be shipped to WRAITH training. By the time his WRAITH training ended, he would once more be certified as an officer, and graduate at the Top of his class. Granting him the Rank of First Lieutenant. 

Thus Erich collapsed back in his bed and sighed in relief. He never once believed in second chances... But after screwing up his past life so badly that he brought the end of the universe, so to speak. He now had a second chance to put things right. So... He would meet with Yumi, and become endeared to him, but unlike before, he would make sure nobody found out. No drunk post to the internet that was suggestive... Nothing... 

There was much work to be done, and only eighty years to do it.... But right now Erich needed to focus on making sure that his relationships from his past life received a fresh start in this one.... One that was better than they had previously been. Thus, he decided to start with some much needed rest... After all, he could not possibly begin saving the galaxy, and those he loved without being in the right state of mind first.