It was when the first starlight appeared to turn all prismatic, a liquid matrix of undulations. Form that moment on nothing was quite the same. Even the moon took on an animated feature. Jupiter was bloated beyond normal science would dictate. Mars turned a deep blue, an orbit too close for comfort.
The next morning I woke up my wife to gaze at the new sun. The time was approximately 7:41am on a crisp morning. Tried to tell her during the night of the strangest occurrences. She said it was a dream, and to go back to sleep. I was reclined to let her see for herself. I woke her with a sunflower and a cup of ginseng tea. I patiently took her arm and said," I really think you've got to enjoy our new sunrise." She looked at me curiously. I kissed her reassuringly, and led the way to the balcony. I opened the doors with slow anticipation.
There in full gaze of the sun, she mouthed whispers of beauty. For the sight was indeed overwhelming. The sun being draped with opalescent curtains of light. A waterfall of ripples emanating from a majestic source. The current of ripples would start at the sun, changing tint and frequency the farther out the crest of the wave would last.
"I believe this is the most beautiful extraordinary thing, beyond doubt. This means something bigger than the astronauts achieving the space station. I ask you, do you see what kind of impact this means for the earth?"
After some time staring at the horizon and the clouds to our south, she set down her cup and took a seat on the terrace wall. "Yes. This one time that humanity shall become akin to the greater plan." She looked at me with tears of hope and exhilaration in her eyes, as I recall. We picked up our clothes and showered for the last time together. Went to work at our separate departments. I was stationed in the Deployment, at the Frontier building, she was working in Research and Design, at the Chandlier. I expected to see her later for lunch, if circumstances allowed a pause during coordination.
When I arrived after driving some very barren highways, a coupled was embracing naked in front of the police station. I found the door locked and looked inside. The lights to the antechamber were off. No one was working at the front desk. The quartz sculpture in the pillar shone in as much as a quartz lamp does. Except the vertexes of the coils of feathers, entwined caduceus staves encompassing a sundisk sung with a strange harmonic melody. Casting spectral shadows all throughout the area. A security officer strolled up beside me;
"Have you seen the likes Mr. McQuade?" I knew the man; an Irish redhead bard-warrior called Sean. Has no wife but two lovely daughters.
"No Sean, I haven't. So why are the doors locked?" I stood back marveling at the skyscape, unwrapping a Juicey-Fruit. Offering one to Sean.
"No thanks. Sergeant Rukovski only left the message not to open up. With specific instructions to encourage all employees to show up at this address." He produced a card, metallic purple with platinum-titanium foil lacework.
I took the card, "why aren't you there?" "I have already rendezvous with my team. Trust me Kincaide, this will answer your questions." I looked at the card; there was no address to be seen. "What is this? Sean, I've no time for games. There is nothing written on this." As I began to hand the card back to him, extending the card with my index and middle fingers, I caught glimmers, a hint of a hologram.
As I found the right angle the address appeared, surreal images in the middle ground floating, moving in a migrating motion. The background was checkered in blue and green.
"This is no game. It is quite serious, if you trust me I implore you to go. After all we have talked about, I would think you are the closest one to appreciate the chance at hand." He straightens his golden tie; a ruby tie tack set off balance as I pointed to it.
"Thanks." "Well then tell me what you know." I looked at him quizzically, pocketing the card. "I know that I am secured throughout my lifetime, even if I choose to extend it, to travel, to be able to unravel life's mysteries. I know the Earth is a very precious entity. I want to know if you are among us who yearn of more than bureaucrats, lawyers, and materialism can offer." "Of course I am. I have made it a habit to establish that all life's accumulations may be gone one day. I have appreciated what timely items I was able to use. My house is simple enough. I am very curious as to how you can be so assured of all this." I stated as I made my way to the garage.
"It is all in the plan. It means that you will not be reporting to work tomorrow. Even as I am requesting for relocation." Sean stood casually, hands in his vest pockets, leaning on a flying buttress.
"What? You are moving? Where to? No more Saturday strategy games of chess?" I intoned a hint of mock sadness.
"You'll see. Good-bye. Kincaide?"
"Yes," I answered.
"I wish you the happiest of all pathways your footsteps may lead you. Say hello to Anastasia for me will you?"
"Yes I will. I thank you, and I'll see you some time." I answered. "Say hello to Dawn and April for me, and a kiss on both cheeks.
"I shall, they'll miss your reading time." Sean waved and walked around the corner.
I stopped to confirm the address, wondering which highway to take. I expect no traffic, as coming here was no problem. I was wrong. The traffic then at 10:00 was picking up with caravans of haphazardly packed trucks and cars. Backpackers on the shoulder, some of the pedestrians wearing only their pajamas and a beach towel around their necks. About ten miles from my destination, I saw a translucent jellyfish-shaped transport ascending with people riding the head; I couldn't believe it at first. Then there were hundreds of the transports all along the horizon. I suspected these people were going by their own free will.
I took the card and set it on the dashboard. Turned on the radio. Static. I searched the stations, up and down the range. All I received was a strange interference on both AM and FM. Turned on the Toshiba flat-screen, the picture warbled with fractals, and icons floated pass in receding and descending patterns. Left them both to their entrainment and concentrated on the conditions of the road.
When I arrived at the complex, Mars was tracing blue details upon everything. As I turned for the garage a guard stood at the queue of cars. I never saw anything like this man, except for book cover portraits on fantasy magazines. He was cloaked from neck, hands to feet in a chrysanthemum of crystals and minerals laced like veins. He wore a crown of lapis in al lotus form. His voice was strong, giving instructions to passengers and the drivers.
Two brawn women accompanied him some thirty feet away at the entrance to the parking area. These two women were lavishly embellished with onyx and hematite, magnificently complimenting their shapely figures, securing inconceivable planes of wings on their backs. They were handing out uniform rainbow stone instruments, the size of a large laptop. I was third in line.
From out of nowhere, this plainclothes officer came and knocked on my window. He was older than I, with laugh lines rooted deep in his pleasant face. His identification lapel read Kirk Moorcastle.
"Yes," as I rolled down the window.
"May I see your card sir?" He made a motion to a car that just pulled up from behind me. I handed him the card from the dashboard, with a hesitant gesture.
"What is going on here? Who are these people? I show up at work, no one was there, a security officer encouraged me to come here. The sky is filled with strange sights; the radio is spasmodic with haunting symphonies. The airwaves are nothing but stupefying events, even the t-v stations are a puzzle." I expressed with pleading hand gestures.
"I understand your concern." He took a tool from his pocket; a three terminated quartz tuning fork and passed it over the card. Reading something else I gather.
"Please proceed to the two ladies. You'll be given what you need. As to your questions, sir, I can only say that it is necessary for the process." Placing the device near my head, "state your name please." I noticed the bottom terminal was perpendicular to his special glove.
"Kincaide Alexis McQuade. Mister Moorcastle, is this all necessary? I mean, who are those people? How are they garnished like that?" I tried to get answers from him; he handed back my card and just walked to the car behind me saying, "be calm." After two minutes it was my turn at the amazing women. They were larger than I previously estimated. Their attire sounded heavy when they walked.
"Hi. My name is Serena Aquila. My friends' name is Kirsten Keelfin. May I have your card? It would speed up the education immensely." Her face was fashioned like a feline, wide almond shaped azure eyes, and thin pink lips supporting a tiny over-bite. I could not place an accent, could not help myself to let my sight wonder. I guess I was stunned for some time, staring at the sensuous curves and the extravagant wings.
"Excuse me Kincaide McQuade, are you all right? Here, take this." She handed me what I now consider the most valued instrument I ever came across. She opened it up and inserted my card.
"Will I see my wife?" I asked with urgency.
"What is her name?" She responded.
"Anastasia Belladonna Vasquez." I said with eloquent concern. My emotions caught up with me at that moment. I always imagined that I would be through this kind of ordeal with her at my side. Hoping we would never be separated at a time like this. She spoke the name with perfect inflection into other shoulder. At that I noticed her joint was shaped in a sphere of onyx with equidistant trumpets of tigers' eye budding in a radial fashion three inches out. "Do you actually fly in that?" I wondered. How can anything that heavy perform aerial feats? I would learn different later.
"Kincaide, that machine is like your computers here on Earth. Only difference is that it is artificially intelligent. It is serviced to be your guide. Use it for good deeds and you will be provided for. I understand Anastasia is at the point of being lifted to one of the vessels right now in orbit above Sydney. If you will follow the white line, park your vehicle, and exquisitely follow instructions from Roland, you can rendezvous with here in ten minutes." Kirsten said in a very convincing manner.
I looked to into her eyes and saw that she really did care. Considering the amount of requests she happens to take on. I followed the white pathway of arrows. Parked the car on the eighth floor, adjacent to the majority of my colleagues' cars. I reached for the computer, as I did I noticed one of my best friends, Rachael, still in her cherry red Audi. Her head was hunched between the steering wheel and her hands. I got out called her name over my roof. She looked up, there were signs of concern on her face. She rolled down her window, opened the door and sat at the cavity.
"What is the matter Rachael?" My voice sounded more absent than I wished. I was busy thinking of Anastasia even thought Rachael is my steadfast friend.
"I don't know where Carlos and the boys are. They never showed up at any of the connection platforms. I rolled out of bed leaving him asleep, checked in on Geronimo and Rasputin. They weren't in bed. I found them in the teleconference room playing with the channels. Geronimo was switching levers, trying to focus the beams. Rasputin was resigned to watch. I said what's up? Rasputin sounded impatient saying Geronimo was having all the fun. I noticed unusual displays across the board. I asked Geronimo. He said that first came the colors, then the 'ghostscript.' I was curious as to what he was talking about, but I had to run to beat rush hour. Luckily there was none. But I kept stopping along the way, staring up at the sky. Picked up a hitchhiker from Alaska. Came to work. Saw Sean. Came here. Saw Roland upstairs before the lecture from the Ministry of Information. I tried to call home, but the phone lines wee all screwy. I approached Roland if he could locate my family. He encouraged me to find them and come back as quickly as possible. I wen home, it was deserted. Carlos left a message on the answering machine saying he and the boys went out to purchase more equipment. I came here with no place else to go. I don't know whether to stay and find them or take the chance of going up there in hopes of retrieving them after some investigation. Then you pulled up. How are you holding together?"
"As well as can be expected, I venture. Like you I guess. Anastasia is up there in space. If I hurry I can catch her in ten minutes. "Don't bother. The debriefing lasts for thirty minutes with an ultimatum. Stay and help restructure the earth or go and prosper in the Cosmic Playground. I just don't know if I should take the choice. "Sean said to me he had a choice of extending his lifespan. I would choose that and go up to search for them." I said supplying some support. At least I thought it was.
She just looked more frustrated. She blurted, "No, no. It just can't be the way. You either go with no modifications, or you can stay and help by the extension of your constitution. I had choices. Many choices, but my heart directed my motive. Anastasia was out there!
So I wished Rachael Farewell, good luck, strength and love. My love for here stems from childhood rivalry. Always taking a step further beyond optimistic goals, achieving the most influential decisions that bring about change for the benefit of humanity.
The elevator was evidently preprogrammed to the twelfth floor. The normal Muzak was now playing that haunting rhythm. A sort of familiar thrumming and burbling, yet so distant to recognize. As each level of the liquid quartz display climbed, the spectrum climbed until it became a brilliant opalescent. Time seemed to slow down during the journey in the elevator. When I arrived to the open doors of that twelfth floor complex, I was stunned to find charts, topographies and pictoglyphs layered in a presentation.
The sheer energy, technology required for animated solid textures to the scale of what I saw, was magnificent. The art of such a meeting place, the textures, the smells, the sounds were all so new and inviting. I wandered through what seemed a jungle for a long time. A maze of images foreign to human design.
I came across a bronzed haired champion. For this man clad was of evident regal in form. Supported by such wealth of woven metals and minerals. Azurite crested biceps, goldstone plated chest, quartz and corybellium inlaid heart. A helmet of roman design fashioned from sapphires. His eyes were accented with platinum and silicon, flush with the hematite and magnesium that flourished from his cheeks. He wore gauntlets of moonstone and sunstone, fingernails placed with silver. I approached him with my new possession.
He said, "Open the box, if you will then we may proceed." Stepping through the various plateaus, I stopped on the lip of his altar topography. "Are you the one called Roland? Can you help me find my mate? I would do anything to know she is safe?"
"If you will open the box, we may proceed." As he said it he turned to smile, opened his arms wide with palms towards me. With a gesture of his head, I complied. Immediately the sphere of liquid light evolved. It was suspended in midair. It was something so remarkably striking that I felt compelled to touch it.
"To answer your question, yes my name is Roland. Please do not touch the sphere. It would help to have a clean orb. Please insert your card into the green diamond at the waterfall. I found the shoreline of his area, followed the boundaries of yellow slivers, took the card and found the cave's mouth. I plugged it in with a firm pat.
"Now, Kincaide Alexis McQuade, the time has come for your to choose which terrain of testament you'd like to transverse. If you found no foothold to peep through, you may stay on this isthmus support of your ideogenopsychology. What is your choice?"
"Can you assure me that my wife knows that I make this choice in hopes of seeing her again?" "You all will experience connection, bridges of promise with plateaus of recognition. She even knows now that she is sorry she didn't somehow wait. The chance was just too beautiful as you described this morning, to pass up. She loves you so very much. Has real zeal towards life. You were so complimentary. Do you understand?
"Yes, I do." I was crying at that moment. For how else could he know what we were discussing this morning.
"Please reinsert your card back into your new satchel. This instrument represents a highly planned, craftily executed bit of filing, mapping, and creative out-processing programs. My starting off from here and know all this I for learning, the discipline of emotions involved will be new, and at first seemingly impossible to resolve, but with your new audience things will come to pass of great strides in achievements. Immediately extracted my card from his topographical altar of conscience. The sphere grew and molded into my peripheral vision. The entire environment just melded into an office of sorts. I saw plants border the frames of desks, mineral deposits forming the tables and chairs. As I looked around in flickers of batting my eyes, people appeared in the chairs, twelve in all. Their faces I couldn't see directly, but somehow I had the sense they looked like me.
"Hello Kincaide. We represent the Ministry of Information. We would like to believe that you are ready to explore and grow from your learning. It is in our best interest to explain to you your options. First: you would be allowed to travel the polyverse. The condition is that you keep a diary of ideas and catalog to your discretion the cultures having a unique impact on you. You can with this machine build environments suitable for you. Second: your established name would allow for the arrangement of meeting with tangentory troopers of temporal testaments. This occurs when you have input a myriad of life’s mysteries. When you have qualified, you will be eligible to land on explored regions of our experience and be asked to introduce yourself to the benefit of the species. Finally: if you choose, you can remain on Earth to assist in realigning the pathway to Paradise, but without the aid of the biocomputer. Resources for this type of hardware and the number of programs available to us are quickly becoming scarcer, although you may have the opportunity to extend your lifespan. This, we believe can compensate for the offer of thriving for Truth. As he spoke, I noticed that the other members of the ministry began to mix their voices in a thunderous resonation. The atmosphere took upon a crescendo at the end of the second choice. The final choice was singularly his own, expressed with a high tone.
"I choose to venture forth, for the opportunity to reach, teach with the great revelations as they occur. I would enjoy the quest to seek other existence. I thank you for sharing what Anastasia thought. I know I can continue forward now that I am secured in the knowledge that she is safe.
"Good. Do you have any questions?" The chairperson had a halo; it was smearing along with the others. The energy of the aura seemingly to be integrating with them, rebounding as each seated entity pulsing their own auras across the pool above, and in front of them. His voice was calm and concerned.
"No. I do not believe I have any questions now. Out of curiosity, what do I do when I do require assistance? When I am out there where do I goto, to whom do I reach out to?" That was the foremost concern on my mind at the time. It seems now, as I write this in the aftermath that the questions were innocent enough. Unbeknownst to me, the upcoming encounters would require more planned inquiries.
"When the time is right the space will be provided for answers and assistance. You will honor the presentation; the plantation of promise will abound across choice."
At this moment the peripheral images of the courtyard biomorphs began wavering, growing and overflowing. The rods and cones supporting the desktops and chairs began to overlap their textures in a Mezzo-Indian style representing a divine sun calendar. I stood in awe as the swirling encompassment of accelerated motifs of lives' marvelous chance at greeting the infinite varieties of species.
The Ministry of Information dissolved, revolved around and back into the sphere of light on the biocomputer. At this point it said, "Greetings. I am Ghayllieuxjah." The name scrolled up on the sphere. "I can enable you to venture onwards, as I have an abundance of capabilities and knowledge. I'll store anything you find noteworthy and assemble new data into my existing files." The biocomputer spoke with such a beautiful voice. I found it very composed, reassuring.
The area, which I stood upon, was marbleized radial green and gold vortices, weaving purple and violet highlights in fuzzy gridlace. The wind was blowing, I noticed that granules of the vortices moved with the wind-currents. The skylanes of ruffled plumage of colors were slowly descending, widening on the horizon. The spectrum was so intensely beautiful, a brilliance of alternating tincture. Jupiter was overhead moving westward. The Great Red Spot swirling its; mysterious eye on Luna.
"Ghayllieuxjah, tell me why that star is pulsing in synchronicity to Sol."
"The transitional technology of establishing a gateway to you star and ours requires synchronizing gravitomagnetismic frames that weaves a spacetime funnel. We're using your source of the gravity-vortex as a pole, an anode. It is possible to travel through that route. There is a transport satellite in geosynchronous orbit with a shuttle due to descend in five minutes. At that point you can make a further choice as the option for more information will arise there."
What I didn't notice before was other starlight, especially from our constellation of Reticulum, which was mixing and matching the tightest crest. This, as I have come to understand it, is the linking of gravitomagnetism at the atomic level of element 115 being neutronized for atomic weight 116. This provides a gateway to bend the spacetime phenomena to any extreme, as long as the energy is sufficient to access and amplify the gravity that binds subatomic particles together.
"Oh thank you, Ghaylle. How do I carry you? This container is getting heavy, carrying you like this.
"I can manufacture belt straps and you can secure it around your back.
"Yes, please do."
"Kincaide?" I heard the voice coming from behind me.
"What? Yes." I turned around to see Rachael approaching me. She was clad in a jumpsuit with silver foilflowers and indigo trumpets, spewing mist.
"Wow! Rachael you look stunning. How? Why?" I was surprised and relieved to see her again.
"Thank you. I'm glad to see you up here. I have decided to go. Kincaide, are you ready? I understand that a vessel is to arrive very soon.
"Yes. I think so. Ghaylle, are we ready?"
"Is that what yours is called? Mine finds the name Hastor." Rachael was smiling very broadly.
"Its full name is Ghayllieuxjah." I replied.
"Yes," replied Ghaylle, "if you would pull on the two corner columns and fasten them together. Be sure to hook the two from the tip two hexagons. Just pinch them to shape a pyramid and pull them into the tubular belt. "Look up." Rachael whispered. As I followed instruction I looked up while I fastened the chest harness. The sight was that of a descending star-jellyfish. The undercarriage was veined with blue and hazel, throbbing to the tentacles. As I watched, I could see seats outlining the perimeter of the lop stool. Soft blue extremities came reaching down as it started getting closer to the rooftop. Its trajectory was the center of the radial circle.
"That is remarkable. Hastor, how many of these crafts exist?" Rachael queried.
"Which type of craft?" Hastor responded.
"The one descending now. The one for us.
"I can not respond correctly unless you enable an input device. Do you so wish?
"Yes."
"Then, just release the upper right top cube, it will depict an eye icon and face the downside toward the transport in question." Hastor said with a patient, masculine voice.
Rachael, with the grace of a swan, unfastened the cube and pointed it at the craft, which had settled. I was startled at the beauty of the creature. There seemed to be sensory organs all along the rim. I walked toward the vessel.
Hastor responded, "There are 144,000 such transports. This is the most common one. There are larger models with more functions, these being for different biospheres. This one can support transportation in a world even lighter than your gravitational pull. As I reached the vessel, a portal irised open from one of the sensory organs. A woman in a suit that looked like texturized plastic flesh, with varicolored umbilical cords trailed
after her.
"Hello, my name is Psion Pyerna. I am your transport coordinator. If you two are ready, we have to launch and hop over a circlexus distance away for more travelers.
"Do I just enter in here?" I pointed at the entranceway form whence she came. "I saw people on the rim, how do I get up there?"
"I became intrigued with the notion of riding the rim. Rachael, standing next to me, began stroking the surface of the creature.
"I've never felt anything like this. This texture is gritty with oil and very warm. Come, Kincaide, feel the strange protrusion of this eye. Psion stood some yards distance form the iris entranceway saying,
"Please do not rub that. It will hinder our mobility. I am in charge of its' care these Tetraquatmorphs are very sensitive. There is plenty of time for sensory experience later. Sir, Lady if you would just step up there." She pointed at the entryway that now had a hood of uniform steps of an inverted pyramid.
"Oh, my name is Rachael. My friends' name is Kincaide. I didn't mean any harm. This is wonderful. I can't wait, c'mon Kincaide let us board and rest our eyes for the last time with vistas of our Earth." With a young girls' enthusiasm she skipped over to the walkway.
I followed her, "how did you get your new outfit?" Being envious of her new attire, I wondered where she received the strange foilflowers.
"Oh, yeah. I was sick and tired of my nylons and rayon dress. I just asked Roland if he could produce a versatile, fashionable piece of clothing. From his summit he created this. She petted her torso down to her waist.
"He told me I've no need to worry about temperature or comfort. For it will conform, and perform to my needs. We climbed the stairs. I heard noises; conversations arose from our rear. An entire group of people now, fellow travelers. Among the varigraded people were Kirsten and Serena. I became ecstatic with the sight of those angels. As Rachael and I found our seating areas, hung over the top of the rim. I wanted full view of the oncoming journeymen and women too. Some of the men were also lavishly accommodated with new clothes. Couples were holding hands and kissing at the sight of our vessel. Oh... how I longed to be with Anastasia at that moment. They came aboard smiling and saying hello. They too, overwhelmed, kept to themselves.
Psion, Kirsten, and Serena were talking among themselves. A language very unlike English, it seemed a montage of languages. I noticed that their collars were rapidly changing in geometrical shapes and the colors, whose vertexes were the last to stain and remain the pregenerative color. The three of them nodded in unison, Kirsten and Serena jumped up and weaved an aerial ballet to land gracefully at opposite sides of the epicenter on the craft. Psion came walking backwards, the umbilical extensions rolling up into her joints. I saw the hood retract and heard the swoosh of the iris close. Around me were probably twenty people, a little less than half of the seats were occupied. Rachael came over to sit next to me.
As we began to rise, the center of the craft formed a cone of pinkish matter. The cap melted away, and up rose Psion with joysticks on a platform.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Psion Pyrena. I am your transport coordinator. We will be moving towards another location to pick up more people. Then we will ascend to the satellite in about thirty of your minutes. Be sure not to lean too closely over the edge. It would cost us time to retrieve any incautious person. With swift grace we moved over Sydney. I couldn't feel the momentum.
The waters were reflecting the sky with choppy canvases of color. The horizon had a pale, porous flush. Arrived, surprisingly at the Excelsior building. Tens of miles in a matter of minutes! There were already congregations of children awaiting departure. At the sight of us, they began to jump and point with exaggerated motions.
We descended; they came aboard, adding rambuctiousness to our muted gathering. All the children wore uniform outfits with a modicum, of color and foilflowers and cubecollars. The age bracket of the children seemed to reveal six to thirteen, fifteen-year-olds.
Psion introduced herself again, adding, "now, young ones, we are on and up towards more marvels. Be sure you are well placed in the seats. We began to rise more swiftly this time. I gazed intermittently between the Earth, Kirsten, Serena, Rachael, and Psion, who was deftly driving the creature through and among other transports, some of the other models with more people. The kids were also easy not to ignore. The ascension took less time than I anticipated, for I soon found the immense curvature of the Earth. The albedo of the planet, as an array of varicolored curtains surrounding the poles in opalescence. Up, ahead of me, was the mothership of the satellite. Greeting Godlings the porthole that we were going to enter into extended its phalange landing plate. The perimeter had the color of emerald green. Mist crystals surrounded our mouth-entrance. We did a roll reversal, what was up, now became our down. We descended quite swiftly. We passed right though the plate. We landed upon terrain that resembled egg-crates with warm looking mud bubbling. I imagine that the topography was to nourish and help in the crafts' inactive mode.
Kirsten lived up to her name. The wings easily flapped, ghost patens of shadow movements trailed after her. These patterns festooned a glowing keel along her back. The keel fanned out into a fin; the edges smudged the mist of the upper air. Serena swam with the strength of an eagle. Long, broad strokes with her movements reflected in the air, dissipating some ten feet behind her.
Psion led the procession of walking off the craft on a plank made of soft, pink, squishy matter. The children quickly raced and past Psion. The pathway easily kept up to ten feet in front of the leader. The ceiling was eerily lit from no obvious source. The walls reminded of being inside the ribcage of a whale. I felt like Jonah lost inside a different domain. Psion led a new leg of the path, her direction let to a squat oval in one of the ribs. About thirty feet away from the doorway, it turned translucent, out entered a girl. Racing with fleet efficiency of energy. Icicles danced off her aftermath, scoring the air with spirals and ball points of pirouettes. At these points she changed her reference of direction. She easily encompassed the children.
We were close enough to hear her say, "Hi, my name is Diana Skyskate. C'mon lets beat the slow poke parents." At this point the children said in unison.
"No. We're just orphans!" Diana replied, "oh, alright. Just keep up okay?" With an enthusiastic glee the band ran whole heartedly toward the portal. Serena arrived first, back stroking in with ease. Then came the children, with a young lad neck in neck with Diana. Kirsten zipped in between the door and Serena. Then we, the procession of stranger arrived.
Diana announced, "now, friends when you enter the elevator, wipe your feet strongly on the disk, for we are going to become very light. Then walk like you're on pillows. Applying pressure only when you want to change your up or down. Like this." With exaggerated movements of her legs, she stepped as a prancing pony. Before our eyes, she walked a full circle, waving to the children as she descended sideways.
"Be sure to get enough chalk on you shoes." The floor of the elevator retained the color of off white. Expansive to the capacity of holding fifty odd bodies with ample room to spare. The door behind us turned opaque, as the last person entered. The walls were smooth with glossy, red veined marble. We wiped our feet, smudging the ground with yellow indentations. I felt again no momentum as we ascended. But my arms easily flew from my side. Rachael stood next to me. "
I hope I don't get weightless sickness. I've heard certain people just can't handle the feeling." She stated with imminent concern.
"Oh, no need for alarm there. We can easily solve any physiological related illness. It is really a simple matter of realigning portions of your generators in your genes." Psion stated to Rachael.
"Is that easily done? I mean is there an operation or something?" I wondered what it took to modify our genetic make-up.
"No, Kincaide. Just this." She produced an item resembling a Rubric pyramid about five inches across to any base. The face was covered with matte flat script.
"How is that applied? "To the forehead, where we define and redesign with tones and colorshapes. Once we receive the right harmony, we know that without question we have the perfect picture. As we ascended, the floor changed in a radial pattern, like the seconds of a giant watch. Moreover, the color fastened a deep gray. It was no longer possible at that point to try and scrap the feet against the floor for the dust.
Some people wee experimenting on stepping routines. Although the elevator quickly dissipated any gain in elevation. We arched up over the middle of the rib; the rest of the journey was more rapid. The end of the funnel was readily visible. A bright purple and magenta trefoil grew larger and larger. There became suddenly sounds, as the trefoil grew to the size of atlas proportions we merged with two other platforms. The rate of ascension slowed tremendously at this point. The last fifty feet or so took some time as the floors merged with our neighbors’ disks.
"Please stay within the original circle. We do not want any undesired harm to come to you." Diana stated above the voices of our group. The elevator leader of the Aboriginal group instructed his congregation. Followed by the leader of the Tibetan monks. Most of them still cradled their biocomputer, some still stroking the rainbow stone. As we became level with our new floor, I gazed upwards still. I saw a planetarium of kaleidoscopic vistas of our Earth, with facets of the moon and Mars. Along the bottom ribbon of the hemisphere were view-screens with chars, graphs, and analytical meteorological factoids. With dots arcing trajectories towards the bottom of the screens. Consoles and chairs supplied the area along with the view-screens.
People in white togas paid attention to the incoming vector vehicles. On a raised dais, there stood a lone figure. A man in his aged years, cloaked in a crimson robe, with a train of fiber thin electrodes.
"Hello everyone. My name is Vince. My last name is Vanguard. I am here to help you choose which direction you wish to travel. If you all would form a semicircle along the blue line. Then we may begin to define categories of your soon accomplishments. Good. Now before you will appear a series of receptacles. Take your sphere of light and place it on top." Many of us unstrapped our parcel, while others immediately opened up theirs and placed the sphere with ease in the newly formed in-ports.
"Now, before you, with your sphere, talk to your guardian engine, that is your biocomputer. Tell it what you seek. I'll be there with a voice and a hologram. I'll be there to help you narrow your choices. Immediately there became this cylinder of filmy energy. Vince appeared before me in full garb, with only one fiber coiling about him in a helix.
"Kincaide, I understand that your wife, Anastasia, chose to take the pathway to the Pleiades. She said for you to make your own choice for there are myriads of them to choose from. She believed that you could make a path for yourself. Not to allow the devotion on Earth that would bind you in any fashion to try and seek here. It would represent lost opportunities. Any ways, she whole-heartedly believes you can establish yourself in this cosmic playground. As an explorer- documentary, to expand profound and expound experience, the axioms of life, you'll hear of her when things are in their correct alignment. Now Kincaide, the view-screens you saw earlier are but sub-roots of our immense directory. We have within our means to transport you to many of the worlds, Astrocities, Dyson spheres as you call it, luxurious satellites, and even remote outposts if you so wish a more secluded area. There are still sectors in which phenomena occur, you may join our research teams there. Foremost, just what are you interested in? Is there a specific area that you find more challenging than another?
"Thank you, Vince. I appreciate you sharing what Anastasia said. How did you come across such information?" I guessed she came here. I could reason how he came with the information.
"Oh, well, she figured this being such a nexus of common ground, she could leave data concerning you with me. It really is quite amazing how well she assimilated her opportunities and capitalized on them.
"I realize that now, I fully understand the implications of your visitation on the inhabitants of Earth. I must come to terms with the idea of just letting go. As long as she is safe, I can guard my heart for the hope to stoke my soul with the thought of seeing her again within my lifetime.
"The prize I actualize is the acquisition of articles, clauses in the Cosmo-Carta. I'd like to endeavor tin alien archeology, what to travel to remote domains and remain to log the lessons and vistas. The chance to greet the inhabitants of other biospheres is utmost on my agenda. I'll make it prudent to allow such access. The wealth of information I want to in store is boundless. I stated this with uncertain easiness, as I gazed at the consoles through the filmy cylinder. I felt compelled to say it in such a fashion that they, the ones out there on the floor could be assured that these people, us from Earth are very worthy of being brought forth on the first wrung on the Celestial Conscience Ladder. I am assured that my performances form here forth shall show that our world lineage huemans can carry vast amounts of living information to the outer cells where ignorance on the darkness that is in existence, so to reflect our light on future circumagnumstantial events. "Good. Kincaide, before you are six isodecahedrons. Each shape is of a sector or of a planetary system. In which the shapes hold data, articles and clauses of interest, lays within the vertexes. Just trace the sides until you have reached the desired form of your evolvement."
Six twenty sided geometrical shapes in the form of triangles appeared about one foot in diameter from my biocomputers' sphere of light. Each relayed vistas and items of extreme fascination to me. For I could see ancient artifacts, gaseous anomalies, extinct thoughts replicated in patterns abundantly, encompassing cities, horizons upon infinity, the Shapes, the Forms, what function all of these independent dreamers found. When they awoke to these people; Vince, Roland, Psion, Kirsten, Serena, and Diana their output in sheer consciousness was brought to the center stage where the spotlight of soulful grace to endeavor to forsake their flesh and embodify electromagnetic energy and reach through light to labor in love to lift the heart through hermetic rounds of animal reason to remain. I became easily lost in the text-tree describing the roots of each plane I was scanning. I have to become very focused on the opportunity I want to travel to. I found the middle one of a different class altogether. The frames were measured with a wholly profound texturized granule nodules very compact with condensed thesises and axioms on a remote filed of experience. Very few of the visitors' scientists has actually explored or even documented a scant portion of the gaseous oceans with their elastic coastlines supporting spiderwebs of organic cities. Their energy generators; the shape of golf balls. The pitted indentations are arrays accessing an unknown type of selected frequency in the quantum domain.
"Yes. This sounds tremendously educational. Vince, I like this occasion, I.D.Y. It touches a strange recognition factor in me. I believe I can contribute to this choice. "Oh. I am delinquent. I did not mean to put that one up. I have become lax. On I.D.Y. you have to be escorted with one of our S.T.A.R.E. troopers. Let me see here, oh, a Luhpis Lazaruhs is on the line for the next assignment-engagement. His rotation from the last cycle is complete. His vehicle, which is coincidently along the lines of your motorcycles, Vauhgohd is the creatures' identity, is being fitted as we speak. This is good, you two would make an excellent pair. It would do a tremendous amount of good for him and us, as we needed to collect data from that area for quite some time now. We have been meaning to put a Farsynne out there. Yes, indeed, a perfect opportunity to link like minds together. So it shall be. It is good you could capitalize on my mistake. You have made your choice. Then the cylinder of light dissolved in an evaporating hiss. I could see all around me, I was the last one to make a decision.
Funny, I thought time didn't as by that slowly. Rachael was smiling. She stood in-between a set of three Tibetan monks and seven aboriginals. She waved and mouthed excitement. Vince then spoke.
"Now, your sphere of light, please replace it to the biocomputer. It has within it short-term memory of your departure plans. Just follow the instructions it relays to you. You will find your choice very rewarding. There followed whispers, conversations, and movements following instructions. Rachael whisked over to me. It really was quite amazing how well she has mastered the chalky waltz.
"Kincaide! I'm ecstatic with wonder. Think of-, WOW! Just the language alone will be enough for sensory absorption. To get into their science...spiciness stung my mind.
"Rachael, you sound very enthusiastic. I too got lost on the time tunnels of information from the vertexes. Tell me how you've come so quickly on your feet? "It's just like what Diana said. Haven't you ever done some pillow dances and cushion jumping when Anastasia wanted to.
"Well very rarely." I became surprised with nostalgia. Earlier in our relationship we did have a large flat in Bejnios Aries. Half of the room was plush with her accrued gifts.
"Oh well, I guess it's something of a learnt thing. I did that sort of thing ever since I was two. Then I met you, oh how long ago was that? Summer of '94. I quieted down my juvenile activities when I found you.
"Yes. Now you seem a fare portion better, you can walk spheres above and beyond me. "Yeah, maybe. I'll not be able to see you immediately any-longer. Hastor, where do we go from here? I attached my light to Ghayllieuxjah. I walked like a new-born fairy over to an opening on the space between the two groups. Rachael followed. "I guess this is it. I have to go up and over that ridge-rind of Sirius. Get this as actually one of the fixed stars.. The pores open only seldomly, it has become smudged with our curiousity with sensory absorption. I have to be there very soon. Hastor has predicted the next opening. Kincaide, thanks for everything. I love you deeply, you've known that. I feel that we'll be seeing eachother some time.
"Okay, Rachael. I love you also. Thank you for all the time we've spent together. I'd rather believe we'll be able to commune some time soon. Your skills will indubitably bring you much happiness in accomplishing tasks that are immensely before you.
"Ghaylle, where do I go from here?
"Good-bye Kincaide. Godspeed and have a safe, fun journey. "Good-luck, Rachael. With sisterly warmth, she embraced me. I rubbed her back and sighed through what I wanted to say. With tears in my eyes, "get going, I do not like long good-byes.
"Hugs and kisses. Sugarbear wishes." She made the sign from our childhood and turned towards the ridge of Sirius. Waltzed away, catching one last glimpse of me before going down, out of sight. I received goose flesh at the moment.
"Kincaide, you are to walk over to the tunnel at the far end and enter the sixth shaft. You will be greeted there.
"Thanks, Ghaylle. As I walked, all around me I noticed that the people attending the consoles had very similar features. The shape of their head and the color of the hair, strawberry blonde. Men, women, and even one child. I found that very peculiar. As I got closer, I noticed that the consoles were of the same shape. Again, a wealth of crystals and precious stones formulated the command functions. As I reached the perimeter where the tunnel was located, I became entranced by the rhythms of communications and the input clanking from the consoles operators. The entire endeavor to coordinate such maneuvers must be on the titanic scale in logistics the sheer deployment and retrieval system seems an impossible task.
I wondered how they got here and why in the first place. Why this time in mans' history, evolution, some sort of life crux?! The flux of life and time must be seized at hand I imagine. No sense of looking a gift horse in the mouth, unless you fear of being side-swiped by the grinning Cheshire Cat.
"Kincaide, please proceed. They are awaiting you in the shaft. Ghayllieuxjah conveyed a smidgin of impatience. All with the serene voice.
"Okay, Ghaylle. I became engrossed with wonder. I will tarry forth with no delay now. I find your concern correct, just say it with more understanding, alright.
"I only reflect what you yourself are made of. Remember, I am part of you, so you have got to be a little more responsible in these alien activities. "I walked through the amber tunnel, arcane trilobites were frozen in time. Depicting crucifixes and kites. At the end of the hallway, there were indeed shafts, twelve of them in fact. One of them was open, a young lad of thirteen was weaving a loom of light with a colored stick.
"Are you the one going to I.D.Y. ?" He asked in a squeaky voice. His hair was also like the others, wearing only a toga but of an orangish-yellow shimmer to it.
"Yes, I am. What is it with you people? You look like many of the others I saw in the control room. He blushed and started to
respond, only to stutter. He hid his eyes and stared at the ground. Sniffles started to bounce off his cheeks.
"I am myself. True, you see others like me. I only know that we need you up there soon as possible. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm, or confusion. I am just startled at the similarities I see all around me. Please let us be congenial. Take me to where ever you are instructed to.
"Okay, by the way I'm Robert. And this is my friend and creative companion, Lil' Weavel. He and I do a lot together. Would you like to see?
"Sure "
"Watch this: >three strand lotus lake spin glove stitches<" With those strange commands as we ascended, he drove a dreamlike lattice through keyholes and spun vorticles throughout the mane of manageable myopic oscillating patterns. As he finished a finite course of creativity, I noticed his formula of fantasy quite remarkable, all the same. Just the pleasure he showed in his face, the concentration factor he exuded was immenately feasible for larger functions. I wondered what sort of livelihood these kids here looked forward to?
"Here we are. Just walk over to that balcony. Luhpis is waiting for you there.
"Thanks, Robert. That is really an amazing piece of craftwork there. Keep it up. Again, I'm sorry if I caused you any grief.
"Naw. Think nothing of it. You all show some suspicion at one point or another. Just think of what we wonder about you. Bye. With that he closed the door. And the lighting took on a different hue. Strange emanations resounded from the area of the balcony. Growling noises and peculiar purring. Flashes of light came dancing up, like hot steel sparks, coming over the rail sprinkling the floor. I walked as slowly and confidently as possible towards the balcony. Trying not to step upon the embers that still glowed on the ground. Even red dots floated in the air bobbing with an odd rhythm. As I reached the alcove to the balcony, the rumblings became even louder.
I heard a man talking, "...this is for your own good Vauhgohd. We have to do this to reach the system, you know that..." More roars issued forth. Funky embers stroked my peripheral vision.
"...Now access integers real to imaginary zeal. Load the telemetric phonetics and sharpen the domain from edgender to scoperihelion. Apostate apogee eleven degrees and savor the scanexus. Pluck away your solar plexus allow me to reinstall celestial lesson logs. Rhythm route twelve clouds, chakra sound, sew now...."
There came a symphony of purring algorithms and more vernacular nomenclature. I peeked over the rail at this time, intrigued with what I just heard. I really became fascinated with what he said. What is all of this strange sounds and sights? What I saw . . . incredible to say the least. This living, two-wheeled motorcycle with viens and entrails bloated beyond cognition. Elements of earth, fire, water, minerals, radiance and ice composed Vauhgohd. The living structure of the vehicle evidently could house new carapieces that were laying in mid-air near it.
"Hello down there. My name is Kincaide McQuade. I gather you're Luhpis...Lazaruhs. I-" "Okay. Just come down here now. I need you to give me assistence. Also to give my friend here a taste of you. "What do you mean? A taste? How do I get down there? "Just step on over. You'll descend unrattled. Tether yourself if you'd like. Just come down here now. I need your input from your sphere.
"Oh. Ghaylle, please produce some sort of harness for me.
"Please give parameters of weight, size and time of materialization.
"You know my size don't you?"
"Yes."
"Then, give me my size about two kilograms and ten minutes. Okay?
"Task complete within forty-five seconds.
<< "FEVER RUNNER TUNNEL TORQUE QUAYS SWORD SHAKE TOOTH CLAY COUNT REWOUND" >> Vauhgohd gruffed with snapping jaws. Just what it meant, I've not one clue.
"Task complete. Connect me to the ground and pull the extension produced. Place it on your abdomen, it will sprout to encompass your torso.
"And don't forget to bring your light." Luhpis said straining to keep open the underbelly. He was engrossed with muddy entrails up to his elbows.
<< "TORUS MAGIC RAPID ATTIC LAGOON MAROON ORCHARD GENESIS" >>
"Get down here now, Kincaide! I can't leave him open like this for very much longer. Vauhgohd, listen to me. Even blood disk drawn horizons spawn, initialize wizard war and pause the cloud driven cogwheels.
"I'm on my way now!" I scrambled to pull the cord to my chest, it grew quickly to surround me. I took the sphere and leaped over to descend slowly towards the pair engaged in their ritual of some sort.
"Quickly now! Place the sphere right there in the cavity. Don't say anything, and try not to flinch. Just as he said that, Vauhgohd rolled over, cranning its' throat-spoke-wheel to snap at me. I tried not to flinch, but the sight startled me. Its' eyes were bleeding exhaustion and the radius of the wheels flamed with effervescent longing. I dropped the ball. It came within a few feet of his knees.
"REACH GRAB THONG GLIMMER DIRECT INPORT TWO SECONDS NOW. He said this to a mouth piece located near his left shoulder, pulled out his left arm from the clinging gue. This glimmer finger latched onto the sphere and spun it into the orange area of the body. Some moments passed as Vauhgohd assembled the articles of myself.
"Kincaide, I understand you are very new here. I have patience for new beginners. I am just used to people who jump when I think it. If you will just follow my lead, I can assure you will comprehend the next logical step. Although most of our endeavors together will rely upon intuition. I gather from here that you've some correct hunches in that aspect.
"Well, maybe. I can't imagine how all of my characteristics in life could be stored into that sphere.
"You'll be surprised to what we can do, and yet there are somethings that are totally unpredictable. Like free will. But, in massive quantities, this element becomes statistically determinable, and well..." << "MISSION-MANSION, FULCRUM-FILM, BRANCH-BROOCH" NO ERROR-ROOT>>..."Hmm. Looks like Vauhgohd has finished. Go, get the computer while I'll finish here. I'll need you to give me a hand in a while." Luhpis said this a certain cool and reflective attitude. As I scaled the terrace, I saw him relax and it looked like he focused and said a silent prayer. Extracting the sphere from the cavity, I saw strange, oily, smoke pool as the globe went away from the cavity.
"Okay, Kincaide, I need you to help me with these carapieces over here."
Next to them were large, bulky looking modules, that had some odd looking appendages stemming from certain axises. These appendages were not only looking like flesh and blood, but also bones with ruby-lattice circuits boiling in effervescent mists that felt cool to the touch.
"Hold down on the black triangles, there, there and there, while I hook-in these cables." Luhpis pointed using a green laser monocle over his left eye, dazzling the triangles that were on an appendage in-front of me. As he hunched over to pick up the piece of insectoid-looking armor, Vauhgohd was vibrating with slow nervous twitches. As soon as I found the areas I knew that the area he was using would soon lead to the power supply. I found that if I hold down the triangles, I could release manageable coils. I handed it over to him.
"Good, now just pick up the coils and release the prism-matrix into this spot over here. If you only go so far, the matrix won't pick up the necessary charge. Keep it there for some time while I install this." He took apart some of the internal workings from where he was and kept spoiling his arms around the ordered area in a whirlpool of work. Intricately marking some areas with something wet from his glove, and expertly crafted these black, triangular coils into the newly painted areas. As soon as that section was finished, a new color illuminated the hangar.
"Uh-oh, I've got to get busy. Listen . . . um, stay there, and don't move, I don't want to knock you over. Better, yet move over there." He pointed to a deep recess some thirty feet behind me. I did so, and as I was walking over, I saw him toss everything up in the air, as high as the ceiling, and in a blur he said something to his suit and a spiderweb of glimmering strands spewed all over them. He closed the large section of Vauhgohd that was open and tugged and the fangs of the vehicle and inched him into position. I soon found an amazing sense of awe, as I watched him pick up Vauhgohd and pushed him into the air, he reached around him and branished a pole and placed it between the slowly descending vehicle and the ground. With another word it grew umbrella-like hemispheres and settled to the ground. With renewed vigor he sped, and launched to the utilities above.