Ayreonouts Only

We have reached our first destination: the black hole in the Virgo cluster of galaxies.
But what will we find inside? Its power is immeasurable.
Our hopes and fears intermingle as we stand at the event horizon.
Will its doorway transport us to our faraway planet Earth, or will its fury mercilessly tear us apart?
[Damian Wilson, Lana Lane]

[A. The Eye Of The Universe]

A dark sphere surrounds us
Surreal... oblivious...
In the centre of the galaxy
A hidden force has found us
Powerful... mysterious...
At the boundary of eternity

Nothing escapes, not even light
Beyond the mystical horizon
We surrender to its might
Gazing into the eye of the universe

A deep roar is sounding
Deafening... thunderous...
As if the universe were crying
My heart is pounding
Frantic... delirious...
My every nerve is dying

[B. Halo Of Darkness]

I hear screams of fallen souls, sad cries of agony
Within the void of this evil hole, deep inside the black

Could it be my imagination, the mirror of my fantasy?
A fear-induced hallucination
Or is there no way back from the halo of darkness?

Spirits - apparitions - misery - suffering
Horrid dreams and dire visions rising up from the black

Look away in disbelief, this cannot be happening
The end has come, I bow in grief
There is no way back from the halo of darkness

[C. The Final Door]

Now silence devours us
Massive... suffocating...
The calm before the storm
Gravity overpowers us
Invincible... dominating...
And leads us through the final door

Nothing escapes, not even light
Beyond the mystical horizon
We surrender to its might
Gazing into the eye of the universe

Feed me light, I'm the halo of darkness
Feel my might, I'm the eye of the universe

We come out of the white hole into the M31 galaxy, which is also known as Andromeda.
We see a planet that looks much like Earth.
Could it sustain life?
And if, who lives there?
[Timo Kotipelto]

[A. M31]

And out of nowhere we materialize
From a blaze of fire to a world of ice
We folded space to a distant sun
Inside the heart of M31

On a steady course to the planet Y
Circling round a star in Sirrah's eye
The search for life has now begun
In the constellation M31

Light years away, beyond our Galaxy
I see a planet like our own
A golden sun is shining down on me
Could it be that we are not alone?

We're passing Sirrah in the Alpha Pegasi
Into the atmosphere of planet Y
What will we find? Chances almost none..
Will there be life in M31?

Light years away, beyond our Galaxy
I see a planet like our own
A golden sun is shining down on me
Could it be that we are not alone?

[B. Planet Y]

We're diving through the nebulae and arrive on planet Y
A hundred thousand hollow eyes are gazing at the sky

There seems to be no motion, no pleasure and no pain
No symptoms of emotion, no loss and no gain

Solar screens and cold machines are covering up the ground
Crystal covered fields of green and oceans underground

Countless different entities but they all look the same
But then one of the entities is crying out its name:

Forever...
Remember Forever...

[C. The Search Continues]

It's time to leave and carry out our quest
Miles to go and things to see before we rest
We came in vain, our search is not yet done
For there's some kind of life in M31!

Light years away, beyond our Galaxy
I see a planet like our own
A golden sun is shining down on me
Could it be that we are not alone?

As we continue on our journey, we dive into a black hole -- a spiraling wormhole.
As it sucks us in, time slows and images become distorted.
Reality itself twists and bends.
We leave the galaxy where our journey began, headed for the unknown.
Where will it take us?
[Fabio Lione, Lana Lane]

Hold on tight, we've reached the gate that leads us to the mystic zone
What a sight! I cannot wait to cross the bridge to the unknown

Defy the laws of relativity, gravity will be our guide
Surrender to the sea of energy that drives us to the other side

Faster than light, we're traveling time through the wormhole
Out of the night and into a vortex of fire
Time slips away as we plunge into unknown dimensions
A brilliant display, quenching my deepest desires

Will it take us where we want to be?
Will it show us what we want to see?

Through the wormhole

We're crashing down to our goal that lies beyond this cosmic gate
Spinning round this spiral hole towards a cold and lonely fate

Faster than light, we're traveling time through the wormhole
Out of the night and into a vortex of fire
Time slips away as we plunge into unknown dimensions
A brilliant display, quenching my deepest desires

Will it take us where we want to be?
Will it show us what we want to see?

Hold on tight, we've reached the gate that leads us to the mystic zone
What a sight! I cannot wait to cross the bridge to the unknown

Faster than light, we're traveling time through the wormhole
Out of the night and into a vortex of fire
Time slips away as we plunge into unknown dimensions
A brilliant display, quenching my deepest desires

Will it take us where we want to be?
Will it show us what we want to see?

Through the wormhole

[Instrumental]

Shine down on me, Sun of the Underworld
Set me free, chase away the night
Proud Jaguar, king of the Mayan Gods
Shining star, light up the sky

And guide me to the Temple of the Cat

Heart-of-Sky, Maker and Hurricane
Mighty eye, harvester of life
We were born solely to speak your name
Bring the dawn, we'll praise the sky

Here inside the Temple of the Cat

Upon his throne the High priest addressed the crowd
Now carved in stone his holy name
Beads of jade adorn his cotton shroud
His silvery blade on a golden chain

He lies here in the Temple of the Cat, dead
He will rise again from the Temple of the Cat

[Hippie]
Hey dude, you're so uncool
But hey, that's alright
Like there's no need to get uptight
My eyes reflect the stars
And a smile lights up my face
We're on an amazing flight in space

It's kinda groovy in this world of fantasy
Where no one else can go
Within these boundaries I'm shielded from reality
Without a care or woe

[Egyptian]
Amon-ra, have you come to seal my fate?
In the garden of emotions
Free my ka, how much longer must I wait?
In the garden of emotions

[Hippie]
I roam the universe in cosmic meditation
To find my inner me
I'm getting high on love and spiritual vibrations
To set bad karma free

[Egyptian]
Amon-ra, have you come to seal my fate?
In the garden of emotions
Free my ka, how much longer must I wait?
In the garden of emotions

[Hippie]
Mirror mirror I can see a lonely child, he kinda looks like me
Staring out into infinity
His father lies, his mother cries, his spirit flies up in the skies
Wandering off to another galaxy

[Futureman]
Secret fears we all try to hide
Lie dormant deep inside us
Defy the ghosts of long forgotten days
Here inside the mirror maze

[Hippie]
Mirror mirror I can see an angry boy, oh well I guess he's me
Rising up to the society
He's aware that no one cares and life's unfair so he grows his hair
And takes a trip into eternity

[Futureman]
Secret fears we all try to hide
Lie dormant deep inside us
Defy the ghosts of long forgotten days
Here inside the mirror maze

Ready for the enemy hungry for the battle
Fighting hard for victory in the army of the king

Armed with shield and sword we mounted our horses
Leaving on a sacred quest
On our way to fight the holy war

They attacked from different sides
Hard pressed with numbers
Could not even run nor hide
We had to stand and fight
Then I felt a blade of steel
Penetrate my armor
I did not dream the pain was real
As I went down I knew my time had come

And then he rode into the night
Towards that eerie distant light
That seemed to charm him
Until he came to a road that disappeared
Beyond the last horizon
He knew there'd be no way back
Once he had vanished in the blackness of infinity
And so he gathered all his strength not to descend
Into the valley of death
Into the valley of death

I opened up my weary eyes
The haze slowly lifted
The mighty roar of battlecries
Stopped ringing in my ears
I gazed upon a friendly face
He carried me to safety
I told him of this frightening place
And of my journey back from the other side

And then he rode into the night
Towards that eerie distant light
That seemed to charm him
Until he came to a road that disappeared
Beyond the last horizon
He knew there'd be no way back
Once he had vanished in the blackness of infinity
And so he gathered all his strength not to descend
Into the valley of death
Into the valley of death

And then he rode into the night
Towards that eerie distant light
That seemed to charm him
A force so seductive
And yet so destructive and cruel
Until he came to a road that disappeared
Beyond the last horizon
He knew there'd be no way back
Once he had vanished in the blackness of infinity
And so he gathered all his strength not to descend
Into the valley of death
Into the valley of death

I followed that road to the edge of eternity
He knew there'd be no way back
Once he had vanished in the blackness of infinity

I fought for my life
For I had to survive the ordeal

And so he gathered all his strength
Not to descend into the valley of death
Into the valley of death

AYREON UNDERSTANDS THAT HE WAS NOT INDIVIDUALLY CHOSEN
FOR THE 'TIME TELEPATHY EXPERIMENT',
BUT THAT HE UNINTENTIONALLY RECEIVED ITS TRANSMISSIONS.
THIS COULD BE BECAUSE OF A MORE DEVELOPED SIXTH SENSE
AS A RESULT OF HIS BLINDNESS.
HE ALSO REALISES THAT HE CAN NEITHER ACCOMPLISH HIS MISSION,
NOR STOP THE VISIONS FROM PENETRATING HIS MIND.
HIS SOLE ESCAPE IS TO SUBMIT TO THE MAGIC CHARM OF THE GREAT SEER MERLIN.

[Ayreon:]
I've been lost in the valley of nightmares
I've been found in the garden of dreams
Speak thy charm, I know you are out there
Cast thy spell and silence the screams

But as I poise on the edge of life
Where time disappears
I bow in fear to the charm of the seer

I've seen fear in valiant faces
I've seen hope in desperate eyes
Lead me home to familiar places
Lead me back to crystalline skies

And as I poise on the edge of life
Where time disappears
I bow in fear to the charm of the seer

I have failed, I have been forsaken
I've been scorned and misunderstood
I have lost, my life has been taken
I'd surrender if only I could

And as I poise on the edge of life
Where time disappears
I bow in fear to the charm of the seer

[A. Eyes Of Time]

IT SLOWLY DAWNS ON AYREON THAT THESE VISIONS HE IS EXPERIENCING
ARE VISIONS OF THE FUTURE BUT HE DOES NOT FULLY COMPREHEND
THEIR IMPORTANCE YET.

[Ayreon:]
I cannot see with these eyes
My world is dark
Like a cold eternal night

I could not tell you no lies
My words are lost
In a shroud of mystery

[Villagers:]
Tell me what you see
[Ayreon:]
I cannot tell you now
I see the world through the eyes of time
[Villagers:]
Tell me what you feel
[Ayreon:]
I wouldn't know how
I cannot free my mind
From the eyes of time

I do not know where I am
I'm lost in time
Drifting in eternity

I cannot tell if it's real
Or fantasy
Or a view of things to come

[Villagers:]
Tell me what you see
[Ayreon:]
I cannot tell you now
I see the world through the eyes of time
[Villagers:]
Tell me what you feel
[Ayreon:]
I wouldn't know how
I cannot free my mind
From the eyes of time

I'm still trying to understand
Why do I see the things I see
Could it be a future world
That's warning us through me
I'm still trying to understand
Why do I know the things I know
Does it mean I'm a god
Will nobody tell me so?

[Villagers:]
Tell me what you see
[Ayreon:]
I cannot tell you now
I see the world through the eyes of time
[Villagers:]
Tell me what you feel
[Ayreon:]
I wouldn't know how
I cannot free my mind
From the eyes of time

[B. Brainwaves]

IT ALL GETS TOO CONFUSING FOR AYREON AND THE THIN LINE BETWEEN
ILLUSION AND REALITY FADES.

AYREON RETIRES IN THE GARDEN OF DREAMS SURROUNDING CAMELOT,
ENJOYS THE WONDERS OF NATURE AND REFLECTS ON HIS FATE.
HE NOW FULLY UNDERSTANDS, AND RELUCTANTLY SUBMITS TO HIS DESTINY.

[Ayreon:]
I can smell the grass
And touch the flowers
Among the trees
I pass the hours
And fantasize
I let the dance of nature inspire me
Now my mind is free
From apparitions
I switch off like a 'television'
And close my eyes

And I wish that I could see
Like everybody can
How I wish that I could be
Like any other man

I can't see the sun
But I sense its glow
I hear the sound of water flowing down the stream
And my heart cries out for a little bit love
But I know that it was not meant to be
So I'll fulfil my destiny and accept my fate

Still I wish that I could see
Like everybody can
How I wish that I could be
Like any other man

THE TIME HAS COME FOR AYREON TO SET ABOUT HIS MISSION.
HE SINGS ABOUT THREE MAIN CAUSES OF THE EARTH'S EVENTUAL DESTRUCTION.

Lying on my back on a railway
Looking at the sky and its full moon
In the back of my head I feel the rumbling wheels
Shaking my memories

It's getting darker and darker and darker
My hands are frozen and steam comes out of my mouth
As I whisper my last words
Seem to fade away

The train is moving forward and closer
Can't stand up and walk away
Once I made my mind up so long ago
Now I can't change
It is just too bad

I feel so left alone, so forgotten
Nobody knows where I am, no one misses me
Cold water runs from my eyes
And the cold is freezing my last tears
Like I'm only half in my body, I can't feel
I think I'm already half gone, I can't think
It's getting colder and colder and colder
I can't breathe

The train is moving forward and closer
Can't stand up and walk away
Once I made my mind up so long ago
Now I can't change
It is just too bad

Cold metal - burning in my back
Cold cold metal - freezing
Cold cold metal - my head will burst open
Cold cold metal - it's been too much