Reacting instinctively to his increasing fear, Favuxo let out a cry for help. The Elder halted his cry. When the Elder appeared before him, the commanding presence quickly restored calm within Favuxo's mind.
"Why is it that you fear the Inabilin?" The Elder's voice carried a note of genuine concern. "Your time has come. You should eagerly await your life's reward."
It took all of Favuxo's strength of will to avoid begging for forgiveness when faced with the commanding presence of the Elder. "Elder, I wish to live."
The Elder, in human form presumably in order to practice for the ceremony, paused for a few moments. An aura of calm surrounded him. He gazed sadly into Favuxo's eyes, perhaps seeing something disturbing in them that he had seen many times before. "One who wishes to live forever is one who will die discontented and unprepared. You have been under stress, Favuxo. It has been a challenge for you, to come to terms with the chaos caused by the extinction of your chosen species. Until you are your normal self again, I must prevent you from making this mistake. What you are attempting to do, by avoiding the Inabilin, would only plunge your life deeper into chaos."
Favuxo collected himself, gaining strength and determination. "Why should I throw away that life by undergoing the Inabilin? You're far past the age, so tell me, if you so admire the Inabilin and its goals, why haven't you sacrificed yourself?"
Although he didn't move, the Elder seemed to become more distant. "You know as well as I that I cannot allow the chaos which would be caused by my death. I must maintain continuity in favuxian life, whatever the cost to myself may be."
"Elder..." Favuxo was cut off before he could continue.
"You must undergo the Inabilin in my place, Favuxo. Where I cannot go, you must take my place in experiencing the brief joys of life as a mortal and the freedom from the unknown, unplanned, meaningless death that will come with the end of this universe. Embrace your opportunity, Favuxo. You must set a positive example for those younger than yourself. They will soon find themselves in this same situation." The Elder looked deeply into Favuxo's eyes, searching for understanding. He found only resignation, but that seemed to satisfy him just as well. "I will leave now, and place you in the Earth city of San Carlos. It has been decided that you will live your mortal life there."
For a reason he did not consciously understand, Favuxo's thoughts turned to his childhood habit of spending millennia waiting for stars to nova. At the time, the great explosion would make the thousands of years of waiting seem worthwhile to him. Later in life he had come to understand the view his elders had always taken, which was that there were far more productive things he could do with his time. He had devoted almost all of his time to collecting information about different species for the benefit of the favuxian collective consciousness. Still, he often yearned to be able to stay in one spot, carefree for thousands of years, to see the brilliant explosion of light or anything else which might be similarly rewarding in its beauty. The desire burned more fiercely than ever within Favuxo, as he approached his end.
Favuxo walked a few feet and leaned against the wall of a large warehouse building. He felt energy draining from him, a tiredness more deflating than he had ever known. He slid slowly down the wall of the warehouse and crouched there, unmoving, for several minutes. At that point he eliminated his physical form and transferred his location to a place far away from everything. He desired nothing other than the opportunity to rest peacefully forever. Somewhere deep in the void of space, Favuxo awaited a sequence of events that he knew himself to be incapable of altering.