Rebirth pt. 2

After a childhood of confusion and hardship, Navia is ready to settle down in the holy city of Euco...

Navia and Ling had gone between rails countless times before. This time felt different though. Navia was vibrating with excitement as she hopped on the eastbound train out of Pashak. They had one last job: take care of the passengers and their belongings as they passed east through the heart of Astra and into Euco. There was a canceled stop at Caaremen that made everyone anxious, a connection in Zephyr’s pass, and then they’d be in Euco, the home of the neon people. 

As she loaded up the last of the passenger’s belongings, she saw Ling on the station deck saying goodbye to several other workers. Ling’s face looked puffy and gentle tears rolled down his face. He had a bright blue glow to him that she knew now meant he was happy, but there was a bitterness in the joy he felt.

In the distance, a muffled voice came over the speakers of the station. She couldn’t make the words out, but she knew it was last call. The group of rail workers all dispersed, heading to their different assignments. Ling lumbered his way into the cargo hold and within moments the station deck was clear. Navia greeted him with a graceful bow.

“Your carriage, good sir.” He breathed out a raspy chuckle as he let his weight collapse into his seat.

“Ready for our last ride working the rails?” He asked her.

“Pops, I was born ready.” She replied, plopping herself onto a shipping container a few feet away from Ling’s seat. “So, what’s the plan once we get there?” Navia asked. Ling shrugged,

“I reached out to a cousin out there. He’s good people, Teb. Good thing my old apartment in the holy units is still standing. Been empty a few months, guess a niece was using it for a while, but now they’re waiting for someone to take it - us to take it. It’s a two bedroom so we should be comfortable enough.”

“Holy units?”

“The Children of Koh born in the holy city are guaranteed a home with their birth family - especially if they’re a member of the ancient bloodline.”

“Are you part of the ancient bloodline?”

Ling leaned back in his chair and it’s back flexed in confirmation. Ling didn’t answer, and she knew not to push. After a few minutes of silence, the rail lurched and she felt the magnetic energy thrum as it took off down the railway. Navia felt the heavy duty straps and magnetic platform strain to hold the cargo in place. She tightened her grip on the container as the rail accelerated, waiting for it to come up to its constant speed. 

The cargo car was the most dangerous place to be during acceleration with its open space and lack of proper seating. Over the years, rail employees became used to it, if not a little proud of their willingness to be careless in the face of danger. The bolted down seat Ling rested in were only present for those less willing or able to partake in the casual dangers of working the rails. 

“We gotta find jobs?” Navia called over the thrum of the rail. Ling nodded.

“I won’t. Looks like my family wants me to settle down. Says I’ve served my time. They know about you. They say they want you working - not sure what.”

“I get it, I’ll pull my weight.” She replied. The rail stabilized, and Navia hopped down off the crate and walked over to Ling.

“I didn’t doubt it for a second.”

“I’m sure I’ll find something to do… what sort of stuff you think I’d be good at?” Ling laughed at the question and thought.

“Too bad you aren’t a Koh or a servant of Oran-Koh. If you were, I'm sure we could find you a place in the temple system but -”

“Yeah, not one for gods…”

“What was it like where you grew up? Out southwest somewhere, right?”

“Yeah.” She paused and thought. How much could she say without it being everything? “My family worshiped Strala.” Final. Resolute. Simple.

“Oh. Tech god, huh?”

“Yeah. Bringer of power. Couldn’t keep the lights on without him, you know how it is.”

“Couldn’t have a rifle without him either.” Ling added.

“Got me there, pops. There’s a reason I’m not one for gods.”

“Ah. Most gods are only out for themselves, you know? Only care about what we’ve done for them lately. The triplets - Strala, Omnibek, Centinu - they care more about what they get than they give. The ancients, though - Vajra, Oran-Koh, you know the types - when they care, they really care.”

“Guess I don’t know much about it.” Navia conceded. Clearly Ling had thought about it more than she had. She found herself realizing how little she really knew about the immortal beings beyond the realm of Astra. She fancied a step forward, “What do you think of the twins?” Ling smiled with amusement at the question.

“By their grace we survive, don’t you know?” He replied. “Navia gave us the land. Cairo gave us the ability to cultivate it.” Navia nodded. “That why you chose her name, huh? To create a new life like she created the land?” She laughed,

“Bit of a labored metaphor there, huh?” Ling shrugged,

“Maybe. My point stands though. There’s some gods that we couldn’t live without. Some that just like to watch their little experiments… won’t say who outright, lest I be struck down where I sit.” He put a hand to his forehead then lifted it to the sky in four directions.

“Don’t want to invoke the gods this close to retirement, huh, pops?”

“That I don’t. Gotta say, might want to think about trying on a different name before we’re back in the cities though. Stuff like that flies out here, but in Euco? You’ll be a walking red flag. Not even Eucans like a mysterious type with a mystic name.” He was right. What was next for her? Was it time for a whole new identity? Or just a new name? Before Navia could reply, her datapad pinged. She pulled it from her pocket and scanned the message.

“Gotta go walk the cars. Need anything while I’m gone?” Ling shook his head,

“I’ll just be resting. It’s so easy to get tired these days O - Navia.”

“Hm?” Navia felt her heart stumble to a halt in her chest. That single ‘O’ halted the world around her.

“Sorry, must’ve gotten confused.” Ling said with a gentle tired smile. “Get to work. We’ll talk later.” Navia looked down at the datapad. She brushed the worry away and left.

She stepped out of the cargo hold and into the passenger cars. The rails were heavily packed and smelled loosely of body odor - it was bound to happen with how often they ran with little time in between to clean them. The old padding that kept the seats comfortable showed wear and tear, and many of the overhead storage doors hung open, unable to stay clicked shut. Navia went down the walkways, checking to see which doors would close and which were permanently stuck open, acting as a permanent hazard. As she walked, she checked in with travelers of all sorts,

“Are you okay?”

“Need anything?”

“Would you like me to take that for you?”

Words all said before in hushed tones. This car was more peaceful than most. She was used to children running around, people conversing loudly, and the general hum of life. Sometimes in particular groups of refugees this silence would come. It often meant a certain kind of trauma. The type of trauma that couldn’t be put into words. The kind of pain that made ‘what comes next?’ feel like a silly question for children to ask, but even the children refused to say a word.

What came next was survival. They all knew that.

That’s why Ling taught her kindness was so important on the rails. She took it to heart each and every time she met a new soul. Navia sent a message into the rail’s worker group chat on her datapad,

All set in the refugee cars. How’s first class?

She rarely went to the front of the rail, but she knew there was a difference between the front couple of cars and the rest. Ling explained it as a necessary evolution when it started a couple years ago. A group of Oran-Koh holy men announced that to upkeep the rails, they could spruce up the front of the rails for travelers who were willing to pay for it. It didn’t change the way the rail worked, it just changed where people could go. The refugee cars didn’t seem any better to her.

Navia didn’t care for it, but she understood the concern those in it for the will of Oran-Koh had in keeping it running. Ling often mused that the next champion would fix everything, but everyone knew Oran-Koh wasn’t one to declare new champions. It never happened. Some gods had a new champion nearly every generation. Some - like Oran-Koh - had so few champions, they could be counted on a single hand. Navia shook her head. The work of the gods shouldn’t have to be a business, yet here they were.

Perfect as always. Not a thing out of sight. A message replied in the rail group chat.

Another message poured in,

Anyone want to help me in the kid’s car? They didn’t stock enough snacks for a run all the way to Euco. Need to keep these little monsters entertained.

Navia replied,

Got my own monsters to worry about. Cargo car isn’t gonna watch itself.

There were several laugh reactions in the chat, then something strange from one of the front car employees,

Look out. Passing Caaremen now.

Like a moth to the flame, her eyes darted to look out the window. She knew better. She knew she shouldn’t have.

The rail passed through so many warzones, it was easy to lose count. Easy to be desensitized. Yet Caaremen was different. Zanth was one of the superpowers of the world, and they had been battering the city for years now. They had amped up in recent months and it was only getting worse. It had been a while since a city-state was directly attacked. Usually wars were fought out in the wastelands, but Caaremen wasn’t spared. The stories were muddled, the news was conflicting. No one truly knew what had happened. 

No one knew who started it.

But Zanth was ending it.

Caaremen went by in a matter of seconds, but every eye on the rail was immediately glued to the windows. Skyscrapers were crumbled, darkness seemed to linger over the remains of the city’s corpse. As the rail passed through, the lights flickered and people let out a faint gasp. The air filters couldn’t keep out the stench of scorched flesh and decay. It reeked of embers and forgotten lives.

Navia felt the hairs raise on her arms as she thought about that horrible place being home. What if it was Cain? She supposed that’s what all the fighting in the Southern Calt was to stop. How much was lost? Forgotten? She heard whimpers, cries of defeat - heartbreak. It was a reminder to many of what they lost.

Many of the people of Astra saw the city-states as safe. Villages collapsed - that’s where most refugees came from - but city-states were always safe.

Or at least used to be. 

Within a moment, Caaremen was gone, but the image was burned into Navia’s mind forever. 

Caaremen was surrounded on all sides by wastes. 

That wasn’t anything new, but it felt worse. 

More final. 

This was the last breath of life. 

Of civilization. 

She looked around the car and saw tears in the eyes of many passengers. She shook her head, trying to process the heartbreak, then she felt a lurch.

She felt it more than heard it, but she was aware of the guttural sound of metal twisting somewhere far behind her. Then, a seemingly delayed boom.

The rail groaned as windows shattered and the lights began to flicker. Navia was thrown to the floor, her ears ringing. Several people dropped to the ground in terror. Navia picked herself up off the ground,

“Everybody, please remain calm!” She shouted. “Remain in your seats, and -” The rail shuttered again and she felt the sensation of deceleration all around her. She checked her datapad and saw panicked messages from workers all across the rail. She skimmed them quickly, only finishing part of the messages,

Oran-Koh help us, we’re all gonna die -

The Duchess abandoned Caaremen, Zanth is coming for us too -

The rail’s been hopped, we need to get reconnected -

Engine’s stuttering, all registered mechanics report to -

Then a message from Ling came through in the group,

Railway is collapsing behind us. Everyone move the refugees up. 

All the messages halted. A door opened to the car in front of her and Calgory, a thin Koh glowing a putrid yellow, screamed into the car, “Everyone please move up to the next car immediately!” The people began to stampede forward, throwing themselves into the next car. Navia pushed her way back through the crowd. She had to get back to Ling.

She called for people to keep moving forward as she continued pushing her way to the back. She forced the cargo door open to see Ling in the back staring out the rear window.

“Pops, we’ve gotta move up!”

“I know, I know.” He called back. She joined him and let out an involuntary gasp that burst from her throat.

“Gods above…” Behind them the rail was collapsing - just as Ling had said. The metal was wavering and contorting like a sheet of aluminum in a storm. It slowly fell away, support beams targeted and collapsing in explosions. Beyond that, Caaremen was being bombarded, dust and dirt kicked up as missiles ignited across the wasteland. “They couldn’t have hit the rail on purpose. They wouldn’t have - would they?”

“Doesn’t matter if they meant it. They did it. Come on, we need to disconnect the cars as we move up. The rail is collapsing faster than we can outrun it with the engine out.”

“We’ll get it running again I’m sure - outrun the collapse, get out of here -”

“Doesn’t matter.” Ling repeated. “We’ll be solely on engine. No more magnetic pulse to push us along. Disconnecting the cars will give us more time to get away from the collapse.” Navia began ushering him out of the cargo hold and into the next car. As they passed between the cars, Ling disengaged the connection between them. He punched in his emergency override and pulled down the disengagement lever. They backed away, but still watched through the rear window as the cargo car began to slow down then collapse, tumbling down to the wastes below. 

“Gods, we’ve gotta go.” Navia ran through the empty car. Ling trudged behind her, trying to keep up. They made it to the next car and he began disengaging the lock. In the car ahead, she saw people pushing forward, slowly dissipating into the next. As the next car fell away, they pushed forward, slowly catching up to the crowd.

Soon they were ushering the crowd forward, pushing them up against the doors in whatever car lay ahead. She wondered how they would fit all of them in the front few. This rail was 18 cars long - 19 if they counted cargo. There were just too many people.

“We just need to get rid of as many cars as we can before the engine’s running steady again.” Ling said. He disengaged another latch and another car fell away behind them, the twisting collapsing railway continued encroaching on them. Were the bombardments getting closer? Were they following them on purpose? Navia put a hand over her mouth. She felt the dampness of tears she hadn’t noticed until just then resting on her cheeks. The terror was all consuming, but the grief was worse. They moved further up through the rail, dropping off cars. The entire population of the rail was stuffed into 8 cars. It was growing cramped.

Her and Ling stared through the back, watching with horror as the collapsing railway came closer like a wave crashing against the shore of the 8th car.

“We need to lose another one if we’re going to survive this.” Ling announced. His head seemed so clear, so certain. Navia looked back to the crowded rail. It was standing room only as people struggled not to knock each other over. There was a strange stillness to the refugees as the world seemed to collapse around them. Was this acceptance? Navia shook her head.

“We can’t push them any further, can we?” Ling shrugged,

“Maybe.” He checked his datapad urgently. He sent out an urgent message. Her datapad went off as he pressed send.

We need to lose one more. Get them moving ASAP.

Navia turned to the crowd, “Alright everyone, let’s get moving, one more car please, one more car!” The crowd gasped in horror. Someone shouted back,

“We’re never all going to fit!”

“Well, we have to!” Navia shouted back. “Please, everyone… please.” She began ushering everyone near her further along. The rumbling of the railway was reaching a crescendo under them. The crowd erupted in a focused panic forward, pressing themselves into the next car. By the end, it was a miracle they all fit. Ling and Navia were jammed against the door of the 7th car as Ling tried to disengage the lock to the 8th car. In the distance she heard a man shout,

“My boy! Has anyone seen my boy?” The only replies were muted whimpers.

The 7th car began to stutter as they watched the 8th car judder and hop off the railway, barely holding on as it crumbled. Ling rushed to release the clamp. Just as he pulled the lever, Navia’s world froze.. Struggling out from under a seat in the 8th car was a young boy not much older than a toddler. He could’ve been hiding - he must’ve been scared. Now he was alone and the galactic skin of his Xella heritage was a discolored gray of terror. Navia tried to stop Ling, but it was too late. The override was keyed in. The lever had been pulled. The 8th car was falling away.

At first, Ollen thought it was a surge deep inside of her. At first, she thought it was adrenaline or some other physiological act she didn’t understand. At first it felt like a gun firing. It felt familiar - like the land traveling up to devour her enemies.

Then it became more clear. A message so deep, so powerful, so clear as day that she couldn’t ignore it. It hadn’t come from inside of her, rather it vibrated up from the barren wastes beneath their feet, through the support beams of the railway, into the car, and through her shoes. It traveled from her toes to her heels to her knees to the tail of her spine. It traveled in echoes of memories and ghastly shame. It traveled in quiet pain. It traveled through roots both inside her and in the land. The message was familiar, it reminded her of a warm moonlit night in Cain years ago. It traveled to her through time, through space. It had a message for her.

Help.

She knew what it meant. Without a second guess, she threw open the door of the car. Ling screamed after her, but she couldn’t seem to hear the words. She leapt across the small gap that had formed between the cars, and ran down the hill the aisle had become, heading for the little boy. She was aware that he was wailing. She was aware that they were falling, that she was running down an incline. She didn’t feel any of it though. None of it seemed to process like it normally would. The world felt slow, but she didn’t mind. This was right. This was what needed done. 

She scooped up the boy, years of hauling cargo serving her well as she threw him over one shoulder and turned back to face the even steeper hill she found herself looking up. She hesitated for a moment as she sized up the 90 degree incline. How could she get back from this?

The answer came faster than she expected: Through Astra. She began the trudge forward,

“Hear me, please…” She grunted as her muscles strained to grip onto the chairs, lurching forward as she felt them going into free fall, “Please. Let me do it right this time. Hear me.” She pleaded. She refused to look down, she couldn’t look down. Somewhere beneath her, the ground was rushing to meet them. The end was coming. The little boy wailed and squirmed, ruining her grip. She faltered, caught herself, and pushed herself forward. She continued her impromptu prayer,

“Guide me. Guide me through the land. Guide me into the future. Astra, protect me.”

.

.

.

Ling stared in disbelief, the words caught in his throat as he watched his kid jump to her death. He didn’t see why, he didn’t know what she was thinking.

Not my little girl. Not again…

The words repeated over and over in his head, his mind reeling at what she had done. Why would she do this? The vision of two girls began to blend as he watched everything he ever loved collapse in front of his eyes. He felt the lurch of the railcar gaining traction and a ping on his datapad. It didn’t mean much to him, but he began to see the crumbling railcar fall further and further away from them. They were safe.

But she was gone. Tears began to pool in his eyes, but he didn’t bother wiping them away. He heard the wail of a man in the distance, lamenting the loss of a son. Ling shook his head.

Not my little girl. Not again…

Then, a dust storm bloomed forth from the wreckage. A distant explosion rang out, the bulk of it’s light dulled by the dust storm. The very ground rose, chunks of Astra swirled around in the thick dust. From the center, a beautiful light began to glow, like a graceful green forest of hope penetrating through the darkness of the catastrophe. The only thing that moved was the dust storm, flying ever closer to the car. Ling tried to back away but he was met with resistance from the crowd behind him. He felt helpless, unsure of what was coming next.

The storm bloomed forth like a flower, firing toward them with the beautiful green light. From it, a figure thundered forward, crashing into the car. The figure knocked over several people and the crowd let out a gasp of horror, but it was followed by immediate calls of excitement.

It took Ling a moment to fully process what happened. He wasn’t sure if he would ever fully understand what just happened. Laying among the people was his daughter and a young Xella boy. The boy was as stark gray as a polluted night sky, and the young woman was laying in a daze.

“Ofelsa…” Ling’s lips quivered out as he stared down at her. Navia blinked rapidly then tilted her head.

“Who?”

.

.

.

When the battered railcar pulled into the station in Euco days after the horrible events on the Caaremen outskirts, many praised the salvation of the city by the ocean. Refugees wept with joy, but Navia and Ling only left quickly and quietly, excitement vibrating off of them. There was nothing left to do. Nothing left to be said. A calm but stern voice of a reporter with a Eucan accent read off information about the destruction in Caaremen through the station speaker,

The heart of Astra has gone dark as news from Caaremen has gone silent. Zanth submitted apologies to the connecting cities, insisting on the necessity of their choice. Shortly after the collapse of the railway, Pashak went on high alert as Zanth celebrated their first successful launch into space. The governor of Zanth calls the destruction of the Caaremen rails and the successful launch a victory for all of Astra. Caaremen has gone dark, but there are concerns that the retribution of the goddess of fire and the protectorate that tend to her people will be swift and disastrous to the stability of the middle of the continent. Ravyn’s End has released a statement calling this a necessary evil. The monastic collective at Zephyr’s pass did not submit a response when requested by the Eucan Sun news.

In other news, shock befalls the Southern Calt as a conspiracy looms, possibly unwrapping everything the collective allies have done in the name of freedom…

Navia turned her focus away and looked out the station windows towards the city. Euco was advanced, but not like the cyber cities or the military capitals that dotted Astra. It was a gentle warmth. Like soul food billowing delectable steam. It smelled like an odd mix of industrially derived sulfur and well seasoned fish, but in a way that was alluring more than sickening. It spoke to advancement, but not in a path of destruction. It spoke to promise.

There were neon colors dotting the city streets, but they weren’t the lights or advertisements. They were the Koh people of Euco. It was their city after all. The holy city of Oran-Koh. The streets were lined with glowing lamps tended to through sorcerous means that Navia didn’t fully understand, but she knew the Koh people took the lights of the city very seriously. The buildings climbed with vines and flowers. The skyscrapers were pristine glimmering monoliths that reflected the color of the ocean they sat upon the edge of. The smaller buildings were made up of brick and mortar and felt warm and homely. It wasn’t like anything Navia had ever seen. It made her feel alive. It made her feel safe. Then a woman standing at a podium by the gate out of the station and into the city stopped them.

“Passports please?” The glimmering purple woman demanded. Navia’s heart dropped.

“Passports?” She asked. Most cities didn’t have passport requirements. So few did that most people didn’t get them. She had never heard of it. She had no idea. Ling nodded slowly with a confident smile as he dug through a bag.

“I’ve got them here.” He passed two forms across to the woman.

“Wow, these are old. Locals huh? Ling and Ofelsa from - oh - oh gosh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were -”

“It’s no trouble at all.” Ling raised a hand to the woman, waving away her words.

“Well, if it’s no trouble let me ask, sir - she’s - she’s not a Koh, but she shares the holy namesake of the Weavers. This isn’t a fast one is it? You know outsiders need to go through refugee processing and I -”

“No, no, not at all.” Ling’s gruff voice replied. “She’s my daughter by name, not blood. That’s hers though and she’s my kid. All clear?” The woman nodded,

“Of course, Weaver.”

“Ling will do.”

“Right. Ling. So sorry…” Ling waved the woman off and she returned the passports before opening the gate into the city. “Welcome home.” She said as she lowered her head in deference. They passed through the gate and into a strangely empty, quiet street.

“Weaver?” Navia - Ofelsa asked.

“It’s my family. Our family now. Hope you don’t mind - easier than changing the paperwork… you’ve already got her datapad anyway. Take her passport too.” He passed the slip over to Ofelsa. She took it and began to read it. Ofelsa of the Weavers - only 3 months older than her. The papers had an identifying number, a date of birth, and a list of identifiable traits that tied the documents to Euco and the significant holy family - the Weavers. She would’ve thought the passports would be more detailed. “When you’re from one of the old families, they tend to give you more wiggle room.” The answer to the clear confusion sprawled across her face.

“Are you okay with me going by Ofelsa…?” She asked. “I don’t know her - I don’t want to disrespect her memory I -”

“My daughter…” Ling stopped and placed a hand on her arm. She noticed for the first time that they were walking down a brick road. Old brick and wooden buildings lined the way into the modern city interior. She’d never seen such a place before. So simple but so complex. It wasn’t an industrialized metal monster. It was something different. Something beautiful. Ling squeezed her arm gently “My daughter was the best thing to ever happen to me. Her name wasn’t. It was just her name. Now it’s yours because she’d want that name to protect someone. She’d be honored to share it with you. She was a good kid - all I ever wanted. All I ever needed. Her and her mom -” The words were caught in his throat and he hiccupped, trying to catch his breath. He pulled Ofelsa in for a hug and she sighed as she felt the weight of Ling against her.

“Shit, pops…” She breathed out, tears tumbling down her cheeks. “I’ll make her proud. Both of you.”

“With that magic stuff you do?” He said with a chuckle. “There’s so much good you can do. I have some people you can talk to… yeah. Patrician’s an old friend of mine, you know.”

“I’ll do whatever I can. And pops?”

“Yeah?”

“How about Ophee for short? You know, make it my own.” It wasn’t much shorter, but it felt like hers. It felt like something she could hold onto. She wasn’t Ofelsa after all. She wasn’t Navia either. And Ollen was dead after all these years. Somewhere far away, the roots of the willow called out to her and for the first time in years she felt something powerful. Something encouraging. Something that gave her hope: Pride. She couldn’t be who she was, and she couldn’t hide behind something as fake as what had been. But Ophee? Ophee could be who she was meant to be. Who she always dreamt of being.

“Ophee. Absolutely.”

She felt the land rush up and through her. It agreed.

---

Hey friends, thanks so much for reading. As of posting this we have officially surpassed 100 subscribers! How cool is that? Thanks for riding along on this journey with me! The next story in this continuity is going to be kind of long I think. The draft is already at around 23 pages in a word document, and I know I want to add to it and make changes so I’m thinking I want to do a few different things before starting the next larger serial. Note, it will be related to both The Children of War and Rebirth - what happens to Akashi while Ophee is on her personal journey? We’re going to go back to him and see. His story is a strange one for sure. Anyways, this story is on the horizon, but before that there’s a couple things I want to do! 

First of all, with the celebration of 100 subscribers, next week I intend to post a “Welcome to Astra” post in which I just link to some posts of mine that take place in the world of Astra that I recommend checking out for a better understanding of the world!

Next, I’m considering doing a Rebirth retrospective. I like doing retrospectives on posts that require a bit of extra editing to discuss what it used to be compared to what it became. Attached is a poll on how people might feel about that! It’s okay if that’s not what you’re here for. A ‘no’ answer is fine by me! If you’re not sure what a retrospective would look like, have a look at my Trial of Isolation retrospective here

And lastly, there may be - emphasis on may be - another story in Astra that comes before the next part of this story, as well as potentially a story outside of the world of Astra. I haven’t decided when they’ll be ready yet. Anyways, that’s a basic layout of what’s coming. Feel free to fill out the poll if you have the time! If you are indifferent, no answer is still an answer so don’t worry about it!

As always, thank you for reading. Each and every one of you is appreciated!