Colonizing—it always felt like a bad word to Nephirta of the Messengers. It was true that the Golden Empire hoped to expand its boundaries into every part of space, but not through harm or bloodshed. The Golden Empire was peaceful—like the Anti-Nephi Lehies—and just wanted to spread the goodness experienced within the Golden Empire.

At the end of the universe, in what the empires considered Outer Darkness, lived Luc. Luc was a small creature, not too large, not too menacing, but not too small, nor too innocent. Luc was gangly, really, cylindrical, with a snout for a face and a long body that weaved its way through stars.

Popalicious's was, without a doubt, a soda shop. Char had half-considered Raph was joking about it being a tavern that only sold carbonated beverages, but here they were, Raph drinking a "Your Fifth Mother from Mars," and Char drinking a "No Soak."

"Father Brigham stood on this hill, overlooking the mighty empire, and declared 'This is the space,'" the tour guide professed, pointing to a hologram of a large man with an even larger beard. He stood erect, proud, happy—as if all of his glorious accomplishments had led to the greatest civilization in the universe.