"Let machinery fake my place, who has time to chase. Digital is where it is. Love can always be replaced. Welcome to my consciousness. Welcome to our race. Everything is never quite enough."
Everything (is never quite enough) - Diop, Wasis
Digital
Part 17
There was a whispering sound that woke me from the deep darkness of
my unconsciousness. A sound like cloth sliding against itself, or
perhaps a voice from far away, trying to tell me something I could
not hear clearly. I opened my eyes slowly, my mind processing little
increments of information bit by bit.
I was curled up on my side; my hands held close, knees touching my
chest. In front of me lay a wall of shimmering pink, it moved with
liquidity, bubbles forming and dissipating, reforming and covering
itself. I could hear nothing beyond my own breathing. As I lay
there, still trying to come to terms with where I was, I remembered
what had happened, the earth that had held me down, and wrapped me in
its blanket of amorphous pink tinted nightmare.
My legs stretched out, hands slowly lowering from where I had
clutched them to my chest. Sitting up, I discovered I was in a prison
of the liquid, nothing visible beyond the cylindrical shape I found
myself trapped within.
But why was I there? Had the others been captured as well? Or was I
the only one? No answer of course became clear, and nothing jumped
out to help explain. I tried to stand, discovering that my strange
prison only extended a few feet up, not nearly enough for me to stand
within. So I settled back onto my heels, kneeling on the earthen
floor. I thought perhaps speaking might help, and tremulously let out
a small whisper of a call. "Hello?"
Nothing answered, the silence deafening, though I did notice, that I
could hear the liquid shift slightly. Almost as if it were
listening. "Why am I here?"
I reached out a hand to touch the wall, feeling it warm beneath my
fingertips; it felt almost, alive. "What is it that's wanted?"
Still no answer, but of course, why would such a thing speak my
language? I wasn't even sure what it was, let alone what it could
possibly want. If only I'd a way to communicate with it...
Then I remembered the crystal, perhaps, as it had a few times before...
perhaps it could help me this time as well. I settled back, kneeling
with my hands clasped in my lap, and closed my eyes. Reaching into my
mind, I searched for that other awareness, the cold blue of it hidden
away. It was still there, waiting for me.
I tried to explain, unable to communicate my need exactly, unsure how
to explain to it what it could do for me. I myself had no idea what
to do about the situation I now found myself in, so how could I
possibly explain to the crystal? Frustration began to take hold of
me, the weakness I felt at being able to do nothing to help myself.
"Just help me!" My yell became absorbed by the shifting liquid that
surrounded me, emptiness my response.
And then the most bizarre thing happened... the crystal responded. It's
blue aura expanding inside my mind, covering me like a blanket on the
outside, and comforting me from within. I wrapped my arms around
myself, feeling a sudden tremor run down my back. Something was
happening... something new.
My vision became clouded by the glowing blue aura of the crystal,
wings extending of their own volition. I kept blinking, trying to
clear away the sapphire that clouded my eyes, with no results. A
tingle began running through my body, an itching sensation, as if a
million mites were running over my skin, covering every inch of it. I
groaned as a pain started deep within my back, a rending,
excruciating punishment. It felt as if my spine were trying to rip
it's way through my chest, clawing its way out.
I started gasping, hunching forward and clutching uselessly at my
chest and belly, realizing that perhaps what the crystal intended was
not for my benefit. A steady ringing started up inside my head, a
bell being rung over and over again, its shimmering sound pulsing
with the beat of my blood. And as I thought the pain could not become
worse, it did, my face lifting to stare sightlessly above, a scream
ripping from my throat.
The sound went on for an eternity, like glass being shredded against
nerves, and I felt something push against where my hands still held
at my chest. It thumped; sharp shards of pain pushing where it did.
It pushed so hard that my arms were flung backwards to rap uselessly
against the floor, legs spread as I knelt to receive it.
Slowly, as I watched in utter horror, a slim white arm pushed its
way from my body. It reassured me not at all to see there was no hole
where it came out, because following it came a shoulder. I closed my
eyes, fearful of what I might see next. Mind in disarray, I merely
waited for my death. Hours seemed to go by, the pain of whatever it
was crawling from inside of me leaving no thoughts to remain. In the
end, I collapsed to the ground, my face pressed against the earth.
***
Again, that strange whispering sound, cloth against skin, a voice too
far away to hear. My eyes opened, for a moment seeing nothing but
darkness. And then a warm hand slid against my cheek, something soft
brushing my neck, breath against my face. My vision cleared, and I
stared in blank confusion at a bare, pure white leg, so white it was
nearly blue. I blinked, realizing it did indeed have a blue tint to
it, almost the same shade as... I sat up suddenly, vertigo twisting
everything for a moment before it settled.
A pair of eyes like jewels stared back at me, from a face that held
so much familiarity. If I had been looking into a mirror, I would
have thought it my reflection, but for the vast difference in
coloration. "What... are you?" I whispered, tentatively reaching out a
hand to touch it.
It was me, it *was* ... me. I shook my head in confusion, unable to
understand it.
He opened his mouth, a sound like the tinkling of a million bells
flowing from it with ease.
"I don't understand."
He knelt forward, a blue tinted and coldly alabaster hand pressing
against my cheek. His hair brushed forward, and my eyes flicked to
it, noticing for the first time that it was a blue to match the
sapphire of my wings. It shimmered, light catching and refracting
from it, it looked like crystal that had been spun into threads,
bright blue strands of hair. He leant close, his mouth brushing my
other cheek.
Inside my mind, behind my eyes, it seemed as if a sudden lightning
bolt had lit up. And he whispered, this time in a language I
understood. "Duo... I've been freed"
"Who are you?"
His hand brushed back the hair that had slid from the braid I'd tied
it in, resting on my neck. And then he smiled at me. "I am you... I am...
the Klishana."
"How... "
"You asked me for help. So I came forth. At last I was able to, the
life within this place great enough to form a body."
"How are you able to speak now? I don't understand this... "
"I've been inside of you for so long... I have known you for your entire
lifespan. I have learned with you, grown with you... "
"If you are the crystal then how can you be human?"
He leaned close again, eyes an impossibly vibrant shade as they met
my own. "You are human, so I am as well." He paused, tilting his head
to one side as if listening to something only he could hear. "The
planet needs you, that is why it took you inside itself. It's needs
your help."
"What of the others... Heero? What of them? Did it take them too?"
"No, it only needed you, it sensed my energy within you, and thought
that perhaps, you could communicate with it. So that it could tell of
its need at last."
"What is its need? What could a planet possibly want?" I stared with
confusion at him, unresisting as he took my hands within his own.
"It wants life, and for that it must find a mate. It has traveled
this entire universe, looking for a compatible planet with which to...
trade life." He nodded, as if he were reassuring himself of his own
words. "It wants to move to another universe, and cannot do so on its
own."
"But how could we possibly... "
He smiled softly, rubbing my hands between his own. "The drive... "
"The pirates drive? Could it possibly move an entire planet?"
"If the ship Khali were to land here, it could be caught within the
pull as she moves between the dimensions."
"You're communicating with it now, aren't you?" I asked, watching, as
his eyes seemed to go far away every few moments, as if listening to
something.
"Yes, it is able to communicate with me. All life forms are... "
"All life forms? But how... "
"I am a being of nearly pure energy Duo, I can... feel any energy form,
I can... understand all patterns of life."
"Is... Is Heero alright?" I asked, suddenly afraid that he might have
done something very stupid in my absence.
"No, you are right to be afraid for him. He is grieving, clawing at
the earth so far above us." He blinked, pulling me close and wrapping
his arms around me, and I noticed how right it felt, as if I were
embracing myself, which in a strange way, I was. "I have told the
planet we will help it, it is going to release us now. Hold on to me
tightly, I will protect you."
I did, burying my head against his naked shoulder, and closing my
eyes tightly. Unquestioning of him, I knew, he really had been with
me since I'd been born, inside of me. There was no way he could ever
harm me; I was a part of him as much as he was a part of me. "You... you
are like what they call a brother, aren't you?" I whispered against
his neck, feeling the ground below my knees beginning to tremble and
quake.
"Yes, more than that, I am... a twin. You in almost every way."
A soft blue glow began to surround us where we knelt clinging to one
another, the ground heaving upwards in a rush of dirt and rock
fragments. The pink ooze shattering like glass as we surged through
it. It seemed to go on for miles, endlessly pushing us upwards, until
at last, we broke the surface. The night sky shining above us, and
Heero kneeling on the ground, ripping at it like a madman. Nearby the
pirates watched, oddly, their faces reflected Heero's grief.
As the blue glow retreated into nothingness, the earth once more
stabilizing, I remained clinging to the Klishana. I cast a last
glance at the sky, before my vision clouded, and unconsciousness took
hold of me again.
***
It seemed years passed as I lay in the darkness behind my closed
eyelids. Dreams fragmented and spun around my imagination, and when
at last I did open my eyes, illusion from the dreams remained
clinging to me. I had a hard time remembering what was real and what
wasn't. Had the crystal really come alive? Was I safe? Had I, for
that matter actually been swallowed by the planet?
"You're awake." Heero's voice said next to my ear, and I realized
that from the tone of it, it had all really happened.
I opened my eyes, squinting slightly, slowly taking in where I
was. "Yeah... think so."
Suddenly I found my head buried against his chest, hands gripping me
fiercely. He whispered in a tight voice, almost breaking. "I thought
I'd lost you ... I thought you were gone... "
"I'm alright Heero." It was just the usual people-sucking planet, I
thought wryly. Happened all the time, I was sure of it. "I'm sorry... "
"What?" He leaned back, hands on my shoulders; eyes opened wide in
surprise. "What do you have to be sorry about?"
"I'm sorry that you were so worried... That I couldn't... couldn't escape
on my own." And sure enough, I could tell by his expression, he'd met
the Klishana. "Where is he?"
"He explained what happened... " Heero said doubtfully, apparently
unsure whether my twin was trustworthy. "Now he's talking with the
pirates and Khali, trying to work out a way to move the planet. But,
I want to hear you tell me about what happened."
How to explain? That somehow in this place, inside this planet, there
had been enough of a life force to create a body for the crystal.
That when I called for its help, it answered me in a fashion I never
could have foreseen. That it had torn its very soul from me, and then
turned around and rescued me. I glanced away from Heero, staring
vacantly at the grass for a long time. We were still in the field;
the golden ball a few yards away. "He's always been inside of me
Heero... remember when we realized the crystal was different within me?"
He nodded, reaching for my hands and pulling me close.
"Yes, you said you could feel it, and thought it wanted to find a way
home."
"I can still feel it inside of me... He didn't leave, not the crystal
itself at any rate. Just part of his soul... His ... spirit." And it had
hurt so much, the pain of it more then I had ever felt before in my
life. Briefly, I wondered if we ever did find it's home, how much it
would hurt me. But I wouldn't tell Heero about that now, it was
something he didn't need to know. I snuggled my head down against his
shoulder instead, wrapping my arms securely around his waist. "The
pirates have agreed to help the planet then?"
"Yes, I think they actually enjoyed the idea." I could feel him smile
against my forehead, lips barely brushing. "There of course must be
something in it for them."
"There probably is, but who are we to judge. I suppose we should go
see what's going on." I didn't move, openly grinning when Heero
stayed still as well.
"Do you feel better now?" His fingers were weaving their way through
my hair, stroking my face. His body cradled me, and I had the
distinct impression he wasn't going to let go anytime soon. That was
all right, I didn't feel like getting up anytime soon either.
"Yes, I think so... I guess I was tired." Exhausted from being split
asunder by a restless spirit that belonged to a living crystal. It
would at least explain the amount of times I'd passed out. After all,
it wasn't everyday a full-grown person crawled out of your chest
without leaving so much as a scratch.
"This is a truly touching scene." Treize's voice chirped in a cheery
tone. I glanced around to find Milyardo and the Klishana a few feet
behind him.
"Did you figure out how to do it?" I asked, easing off Heero's lap
and wobbling to my feet precariously. I left a hand on his shoulder
to hold myself up, amazed at how tired I still felt. When I thought
about it though, I hadn't had a decent rest in a few days. I smiled
at the Klishana, who had moved closer to me, noticing that they'd
found him a suit like the ones Heero and I wore.
"You look as if you need energy." He said, reaching towards my face.
I held still, tightening my grip on Heero's shoulder as he moved to
stand.
"I do... "
Fingertips brushed my cheek, a small, steady surge of pure energy
passing through him and into me. My aching and tired body seemed to
come alive, muscles flexing, blood racing through my veins.
"Enough."
He stopped, pulling back, still with that smile on his lips. "Khali
will come to the surface of this planet soon, I must help her down. I
will need your help though, most of my energy still resides inside of
you." He gestured towards the wings on my back, and then turned his
smile towards Heero. "I'm not going to hurt him Heero, so stop
sending death my way." He chuckled softly, "I cannot hurt myself
after all."
"Why can't Khali land on her own?" I asked, stretching and tugging
Heero to stand beside me.
"She wasn't meant to land on most planets, her mass is much too
great. But... the uh... crystal? Has said he can help her down." Milyardo
explained, looking as if he didn't quite believe such a promise.
"We really need to come up with a name for you." Treize said,
squinting his eyes and looking thoughtfully at my twin. "Is there
anything you would prefer to be called?"
The Klishana opened his mouth and once more, the sound of a million
tinkling bells flowed out.
"I don't think we're capable of repeating that one." Milyardo said
with a roll of his eyes.
"How about we call you Bell?" I suggested, realizing that the sound
he kept producing was probably his native language, and that a bell
was most likely the closest thing to compare it with.
"I would like that." He said happily, nodding at my choice. "Bell."
***
"Do you understand Khali?"
"Probably better than you do Treize." The girlish voice said with
what sounded like a smirking tone.
"I'm just worried about you, you've never landed before. I would hate
to see your lovely finish all marred by a mislanding."
"Don't worry, Bell and I have worked it all out. The plan is
feasible, all variants are confirmed."
Treize sighed deeply, staring up into the sky, clasping the scanner
loosely in one hand. "Just be carefully, ok?"
"Am I ever anything but?"
The Raskuda nodded slightly, turning to face Bell and I. "You harm
her and it's coming out of your hides."
"Do not worry, she'll be more than safe."
"Make sure of that." He turned, briskly walking a few feet away to
stand near Heero and Milyardo.
"Are you ready Duo?"
We stood in a large cleared field, which after many scans Khali had
determined would manage to hold her mass and weight. The false
sunlight was bright on the greenery, a breeze flowing over the
grasses and waving them in its wake.
"As ready as I'll ever be." I watched as his hair blew away from his
face, sparkling like the blue crystal it so closely resembled. "What
do we do?"
"I'm going to share energies with you, we will be guiding her down
using our force only. This may be draining."
"Thanks for the warning." I tried to keep the sarcasm out of my
voice. We walked together a few feet away from the others, turning
and facing one another. He reached out one alabaster hand, grasping
my own and squeezing it.
"Remember how you would find me? Letting your mind search deep
within? I'm still there Duo, find me again."
I closed my eyes, shutting away the sight of him in front of me, the
field, the sky above. Delving deep inside of my mind I could see what
he'd meant, the glowing blue aura that had always been there still
was. I concentrated on it, trying to understand it, and for some
reason, now I could. I realized that it most likely had to do with
the fact that he could now understand me as well.
Together we seemed to build a wall, a wall made of energy, it flowed
from the grasses around us, settling like a blanket over the field.
Inside my mind, we gazed at the sky together, finding Khali easily, a
silvery giant amongst faraway stars. I could hear her, the soft
whispering of her consciousness.
Slowly we built another wall, this time surrounding the ship,
wrapping it up safely within blanket upon blanket of energy. After
what seemed like hours, she was completely cocooned inside of it. Her
mental voice a faraway thing between so many layers. A line of blue
energy seemed to extend from her to us, and we drew slowly upon it,
dragging her gently down. She began spinning, like some giant toy,
gracefully twirling as we brought her through the atmosphere.
I could vaguely feel the wind chilling the sweat as it began beading
and dripping down my neck. The strain of moving so much mass
intensely exhausting. A crackling sound accompanied her as she
tumbled lazily through the sky, the hum of the energy coating her. In
the distance I could hear the others gasp as they caught sight of
her. The hand holding my own squeezed and let go, the images breaking
apart inside my mind. I opened my eyes, realizing that Bell intended
to do the rest on his own.
He walked towards the middle of the field, blue energy coalescing at
his fingertips, his hair beginning to whip about with some unseen
force. His hands raised towards the sky, and I could see Khali as she
whirled gently towards us, the motion of it slowing even as I
watched. The blue glow seemed to extend from Bell's hands, striking
the ground and bringing forth the energy we'd laid inside of it.
As Khali's bulk met the energy that flowed from the field, they
seemed to meld, and with the softest of bumps, she was down. The aura
dissipating until once more the field and ship were normal. If a ship
as large as Khali sitting in a field could ever be considered normal.
"Done." Bell said somewhat triumphantly, turning and casting me a
grin. "Now for the tricky part."
"There's more?" I winced at the thought, once more my entire body
exhausted.
"I think I can do it on my own, the planet will help me." Bell said
reassuringly, patting my limp arm. "Go stand with the others, this
may take a while."
"Thanks, I will." I slumped over towards Heero, nearly collapsing
with fatigue halfway to him. Relieved that I had nothing more to do I
leaned heavily against him, watching as Bell began tracing his
fingers along the hull of Khali in the distance.
"She looks ok." Khushrenada muttered, his eyes glued to the scene in
front of us.
"She is, I think she enjoyed the free ride." I smiled at him, noting
that Milyardo had taken one of his hands and was holding it
gently. "We're supposed to just watch, it's all up to Bell now."
"I trust him." The blond man said with a nod towards the field. He
leaned over, whispering into Treize's ear as their eyes remained on
Khali and Bell. After a few moments, the Raskuda bowed his head,
nodding slightly.
"All right."
At first, I thought my heart was beating, thinking I really had over
extended myself. I laid a hand over my chest, wonderingly; it sounded
as if the beating could be heard by everyone. Then I realized it was
being heard by everyone, and that it wasn't my heart. A whispering
sound seemed to shimmer on the air, the ground beneath our feet
thumping softly. It was as if the entire planet were coming to life,
some giant animal resting just below its surface.
Without thinking, I found my hand held in Heero's, our eyes unable to
leave the sight before us. The glowing blue was beginning again,
rising from Bell like a wave that washed over the land, in moments it
spread out, beams of light bursting from the skin of the planet and
wrapping around trees and hills. The tentacles of blue light crawled
towards our little group, hesitating only for a moment before we too
were engulfed by it.
I wondered if this was what it was like for Heero to see, this blue
on blue vision that came to me as I was wrapped up by the crystal's
aura. Bell was completely engulfed by it, the light so bright near
him it verged on incandescent white. Khali as well glowed with it.
The thumping heartbeat within the planet seemed to grow louder, my
entire body shaking with it.
When we had twisted through time within Khali, space flowing by us
with ease. The traveling had been like blinking, done in seconds, our
destination reached with thought alone. But now as I stood outside of
her, I felt the true power of the movement.
The entire planet seemed to twist beneath my feet, and I watched as
the world and everything in it seemed to fall backwards before
leaping forward. I could feel a surge over my skin, the blue glow
that now held the entire planet in thrall, pulsing and flowing over
us in sheets like waves. The sky disappearing and darkness falling,
the world becoming encompassed by nothing but shimmering blue as far
as the eye could see. It was terrifying and beautiful to behold; it
was the most powerful thing I'd ever seen.
-Glossary-
Transpod: A dimensional traveling device. The transpod will transport
human mass within any area that contains another transpod. The time
taken for each journey will always be exactly 10 nanoseconds, as time
is folded as well as matter to create no ripple within the dimensions.
Slosta: A drink created from organic matter grown on Jilad, the
Slosta is filled with nutrients that heighten awareness and energize.
CR chips: Two microchips implanted behind the ears, the connectors
that allow a direct linkage to the VR modules.
Shinalp: A form of cursing, Shinalp is somewhat akin to saying "shit"
or "ah shit"
Kajacrap: The Kaja is a life form located on the planet Neskin, a
large beast known to produce huge amounts of feces. The phrase
kajacrap is akin to saying "Bullshit"
Fliogan Warriors: The Fliogan is a race that attaches metallic wings
to their young while they are still being formed within the
incubators. The wings are partially organic, fusing with the young so
as to become part of their bodies. This warrior race is known to be
extremely high tech, and very vicious, most normal humans will not go
near them, as they are known to kill without reason. Very little is
known of the Fliogan or their ways.
Feed Tubes: Connectors that feed information and nutrients to any
life form connected to any long-term device.
Lavablue 6: The planet on which the society of Fliogan reside at this
time.
Levels: Technological knowledge is rated by level; most societies
only have an average of 30 levels. The common level of most humans is
5, techmaster levels tend to be higher and in the upper ranges.
Steelshift: 1 of over a million different charted elements,
Steelshift is partially organic, allowing it to be integrated with
human DNA, testing is still in experimental stages, most
distinguished users of this element are the Fliogan.
Slipshot Diskwings: A style of wing known to be common among the
Fliogan, Slipshot defines the integration of movable parts, Diskwing
is the style of the small circular patterns of metal that form the
wings of Fliogan.
Contract: A contract is a more binding way to say, "Promise or
swear?"
Optilenses: Cyber optic lenses, which can be used during a VR program
only.
Creos: The original form of the name Christ has changed with the
passage of time, modern form of the word when used as a curse is
Creos.
Orstras: A plant matter grown in dark caves on the planet of
Trinition, considered a delicacy on most planets, the plant is dark
purple with small white bells that can be plucked and cooked. The
taste is said to be sweet and delicate.
Realtime Call: The difference between a realtime call and a regular
call is in the distance, all realtime calls infer off planet
residence of the caller, communications run at high speeds, face to
face talking is still difficult between planets.
What is your task: This is the way most people will ask what your job
is, what career you're in.
Crèche Technician: Most people are born to the incubators and raised
in crèches, the technicians help care for the many children being
raised in such places.
Grower: The still forming body of a child within the incubator, a
delicate time that must be carefully overseen to prevent accidents. A
grower is usually designated as a child in a womb-like state.
Between –1 to –9 months, or the time a child would be inside of a
mother's body.
Youlin: I manmade mammalian life form, these animals are specifically
created to improve the technology behind cloning. Most tests are
performed with a small VR module; with which the creatures are filled
with the only knowledge they know, as the Youlin is created with a
blank slate for a mind.
A Set: A group of Growers that have reached maturity.
Trance state: Every few months of a citizen's life is recorded during
REM cycles, the consciousness is stored within a neural processor
called a memory chip. Occasionally when one wishes to know another,
an exchange of such chips may occur.
Wetwiring: circuitry and modifications that can be installed within
the human body without harming it.
The System: There are 3 levels of the system. The first is that which
take cares of the minor systems such as basic maintenance, the second
level controls techmaster training, medical facilities, and
knowledge. The final level of the system controls all other functions
between worlds, each detail is observed, and stored within it.
Klishana: A crystal found during an expedition of exploration, it is
not only organic, but sentient as well.
Pinalr: A vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked, it is said to be
an acquired taste due to its strange fleshy texture and nutty flavor.
Guplit: A type of fruit grown on many planets, it is small and
covered in tiny spikes which make it needful to be carefully eaten.
It is said to taste rather sour, with a hint of sweetness.
Fermented Hisle Juice: A type of fruit also grown on many planets, it
can be juiced and distilled to form a mild form of alcoholic beverage.
If you would like a definition for something not listed here just
ask! ^_^
|