The news of the wedding did not travel through traditional invites or digital posts. It moved through the Neural Sea like a warm, golden sunrise, a ripple of pure joy that touched every "New Human" on Earth and reached the silver spires of Aethelgard in the Andromeda Galaxy.
The union was between Rhea, the former Commander of the Vanguard, and Kaelen, one of the first "Silver-type" Aethelgard exchange students who had helped Einstein during the Mars Crisis. It was the first "Inter-Galactic" marriage in history—a physical and spiritual bridge between the "Human Dividend" and the "Stellar Resonance."
Einstein Jacob had offered his cottage in the Lake District as the venue. He wasn't just the host; he was the Officiant of the Pulse.
The Preparation of the Sacred Ground
For a week, the quiet hills of Grasmere were transformed. This wasn't a corporate event with planners and caterers; it was a Collective Creation.
The Iron Guild, led by Silas, had crafted a "Crystal Pavilion" on the shore of the lake. They didn't use hammers; they used "Harmonic Compression," turning the local sandstone into translucent, diamond-hard glass that captured the light of the sun and stored it for the evening.
The Green Guild, led by Maya, had woven a canopy of "Luminescent Jasmine" that draped over the pavilion. The flowers didn't just smell sweet; they pulsed with a soft white light that was synced to the heartbeat of the bride.
Even the Gold Attuners participated, subtly thinning the gravity around the dance floor so that the guests would feel as if they were walking on air—a literal manifestation of the lightness of heart.
The Arrival of the Stellar Guests
The wedding brought guests that the villagers of Grasmere had only seen in holographic news feeds. Huge "Void-Skip" portals opened silently over the lake, and the Aethel arrival was a spectacle of silver and violet.
The Archon of Aethel led a delegation of a hundred silver-skinned giants. They moved with a newfound "Jacob-Pulse" grace, their translucent bodies now solid and warm. They brought gifts of "Star-Silk"—a fabric woven from the nebula clouds of Andromeda that felt like liquid moonlight.
From the deep sea, the now-human "Collectors" arrived, their eyes wide with the beauty of the surface world. They brought pearls the size of grapefruit, glowing with the "Thermal Battery" energy Einstein had installed in the Mariana Trench.
The Ceremony of the Heartbeat
As the sun began to dip behind the Cumbrian mountains, the guests gathered in the Crystal Pavilion. Einstein stood at the altar, wearing a simple linen tunic. He didn't look like a Grandmaster; he looked like a proud older brother.
Rhea emerged from the cottage, walking down the flower-strewn path. She wore a gown of Aethel Star-Silk that shimmered with every step. Her "Iron-type" aura was softened by a "White-type" glow of pure happiness.
Kaelen waited for her, his silver skin reflecting the orange glow of the sunset. As they joined hands at the altar, the "Neural Sea" around the world went quiet.
"We are gathered here," Einstein began, his voice amplified by the natural resonance of the pavilion, "not just to witness a contract, but to celebrate a Synthesis. For eons, the galaxy was a place of separation—of creditors and debtors, of flesh and data. But today, we prove that the 'Dividend' is not a currency of gold, but a currency of Connection."
He looked at Rhea and Kaelen. "You are the first to bridge the two spheres. You are the 'Primary Note' of a new symphony."
The Exchange of the Vows
The vows were not spoken in words, but in Resonance. Rhea and Kaelen closed their eyes, and their pulses began to merge.
Through the "Neural Sea," every guest could feel the "Narrative" of their love. They felt Rhea's fierce loyalty and Kaelen's vast, starlit curiosity. It was a "Biological Data Transfer" of the highest order. They weren't just promising to stay together; they were interweaving their very "Source Code."
Einstein placed his hands over theirs. "By the power of the Ethereal Forge and the Will of the New Human, I declare you Harmonized."
The "Jacob-Pulse" erupted from the pavilion in a massive, white-gold ring of energy that swept across the lake and into the sky. It wasn't a weapon; it was a Blessing. For a split second, every person on Earth felt a surge of pure, unconditional love.
The Reception of the Infinite
The party that followed was a marvel of the New Era. There was no "VIP" section; Einstein sat with the villagers, the Aethel giants, and the former Void-Eaters.
The food was a "Green-type" feast—fruits that tasted of memories and breads that provided a week's worth of "Pulse-Stability." The music was provided by a "Silver-type" quartet that played the literal "Song of the Stars," a melody captured from the cosmic microwave background radiation.
"You've done it, Einstein," Yvette Jacob said, sitting beside her son. She looked younger than ever, her emerald dress matching the jasmine canopy. "You've turned the Jacob legacy into a wedding. Your father would have been... confused, but very proud."
"Confused is a good state for a Jacob, Mother," Einstein joked, watching Aria dance with a young Aethel boy, the two of them floating three feet off the ground in the low-gravity field.
The Shadow in the Toast
However, even in the midst of the joy, the Grandmaster's eyes occasionally drifted toward the stars. Subject Omega sat nearby, his grey skin looking peaceful, but he caught Einstein's gaze.
"You feel it too, don't you?" Omega whispered.
"The Forge is silent, Omega," Einstein replied. "But the 'Architects' are watching this wedding. They see the Synthesis. They see that we are no longer just 'Assets.' We are becoming a Species of Choice."
"Is that a threat to them?"
"To some," Einstein said. "But for tonight, the only thing that matters is the rhythm."
The Gift of the Architects
As the clock struck midnight, a single, brilliant beam of violet light descended from the sky, landing in the center of the dance floor. It didn't cause an explosion; it left behind a small, obsidian pedestal.
On the pedestal sat a gift: two "Chronos-Seeds."
Einstein stepped forward, the guests hushed in awe. He touched the seeds, and a holographic message from the First Disciple appeared.
"A Synthesis requires a Home. These seeds will allow Rhea and Kaelen to grow their own 'Pocket Dimension'—a sanctuary where the human and the Aethel can live in perfect stasis. Consider it a 'Tax Refund' for the joy you've brought to the cluster."
The crowd erupted in cheers. The "Architects" had officially recognized the union. The "Audit" was not just over; it had been turned into a "Partnership."
The Evening Reflection: The Wealth of the Soul
As the guests began to depart—some through portals, some in VTOLs, and some just walking back to the village—Einstein sat on his porch with Felicity. The Lake District was quiet again, the only sound the soft hum of the jasmine flowers.
"That was the best advertising campaign you've ever run, Einstein," Felicity said, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Which one?"
"The one where you convinced the universe that we're worth the effort," she said.
Einstein looked at his phone. The "Galaxy" and "Droplet" icons were now joined by a third icon—a Ring.
Current Balance: 5.0 (Aethelgard Units)
He smiled. He had "earned" five units of galactic energy just by hosting a party. But he looked at the sleeping Aria inside the cottage, and at the peaceful lake, and he knew the real balance wasn't on the screen.
"The Dividend is high tonight, Felicity," Einstein said.
"It is," she agreed. "Now... can we finally talk about that vacation? I heard the 'Pocket Dimension' Rhea and Kaelen are growing has a very nice beach."
Einstein laughed, pulling her close. "Only if there's a pub that serves grandfather's cider."
The "Wedding of the Two Spheres" was the final seal on the New Era. The Jacob family was no longer a dynasty of power; they were the gardeners of a universal family. And as the stars twinkled over the quiet Lake District, the Grandmaster knew that the next 40 years would be even better than the last.
Next Step:
Would you like to move to Chapter 36, where Einstein and Felicity take their "Pocket Dimension" vacation and discover a hidden "Error Code" in the universe's fabric, or should we see the first "Pulse-Born" child of Rhea and Kaelen, who possesses a power that scares even Einstein?