Isaac Meteor

Here he was again. Once more, Isaac sat on that bluff and watched the asteroid fall. He watched over all of ancient life in its final moments before utter annihilation. He had no companion. Dio was not present to reassure him that all this death would be for a new birth. There was no purpose for his presence here. No forward purpose, at least.

No, he understood perfectly well why he was here. There was a deep, innate, unavoidable understanding of『VERIDIS QUO』that colored his view of the landscape. In a way, it was not real. It was a world removed from the true world. But it was what he experienced, and as Isaac knew well, experience, subjectivity, was what truly mattered. From an objective standpoint, at least. So what difference did it make if the asteroid wiped him out in this world or in the real world? None. Absolutely none at all.

He knew he wouldn’t die here— he was past the point of fearing death, so long as he kept out of the sun. But the thought of living in the desolate carcass of a planet after the asteroid’s crash didn’t seem like a much better alternative.

Isaac sighed. But perhaps he deserved as much. He was no longer a man. Violently he had rejected that existence, so much so that he turned his hand on his own friends as proof. So this world between the dead and alive— maybe such would be a fitting home for one such as him.

He breathed deeply and curled inward. His escape was predicated on understanding the specific goal that was intended for him. But he didn’t know. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. The world was ending and there was nothing he could do about it.

And so in due course, the asteroid crashed into Earth. It killed all life, and Isaac could do nothing about it.

Isaac opened his eyes. Here he was once again, the precipice that looked out upon all of creation. The panopticon. He saw trees blossoming, creatures being born, and the stone from above, careening from above to end it all. And he laughed. For he had seen it all end twice before, yet here he was, punished to watch it end once more. Perhaps Jet Jaguar was content to give Isaac as many chances as needed to make things right. Or perhaps he intended to keep him there forever, just like the timeloop.

Isaac checked his Temporal Dial, to see if he could skip to the future, back home. But as the world was to end and time was to reset, it did not go past the three hours within which the asteroid fell. He was trapped here until he did what he needed to do.

Either way, Isaac did not know what was needed of him. So he did nothing. And in due course, the asteroid crashed into Earth. It killed all life, and Isaac could do nothing about it.

Isaac opened his eyes. Yet another instance where he lorded over all things living so as to oversee its demise. He watched creation beg to be maintained, and he refused, for he believed the task to be beyond one such as him. One such as himself was unworthy of meddling in the affairs of the living. So he did not even try.

In due course, the asteroid crashed into Earth. It killed all life, and Isaac could do nothing about it.

Isaac opened his eyes. He stood on a cliff, and he saw death below. Creation in the primacy of life, only to have it all be soon cut off. He knew it did not matter if the asteroid crashed. It would all return to normal anyway. That which was lost would not stay lost.

And yet. Isaac did not want to see all of creation die. Not again. The gasps for air, the wilting of flowers, the cries for help, he could ignore them no longer.

But the asteroid was so large. The task was insurmountable. But why not try?

In due course, the asteroid was bound to crash into Earth. And it would kill all life, unless Isaac did something about it.