Spheria

  “So,” said Max, as if nothing had happened, “an electron walks into a bar and says ‘a round for everyone, on me.’ The bartender asks, ‘are you sure you want to do that?’ He replies, ‘of course, I’m positive.’”

  They all laughed at this, but Min laughed a little bit louder than the others.

  “Max, c’mon,” she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him toward the exit. “I think you need a little fresh air.”

  Chapter 14 - Extra Sense

  “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”- Ephesians 2:8

  The blow never came.

  Le∙ma looked up at the raised tusks of the Zalisk. But instead of pummeling her, it took a couple of steps backward and lowered its head to the ground. It was standing completely still, looking over and past her.

  Then she heard a familiar voice. “Turn around, move forward twenty lengths, and forget we are here.” It was Sa∙ma.

  The Zalisk, as if in complete obedience, turned around slowly. It shook in place, then lumbered through the brush into the distance.

  Sa∙ma lent a leg to Le∙ma to help her up and out of the ditch. She climbed up on wobbly legs, shaken by her near-death experience. She could only muster one word: “How?”

  Then she noticed something different about Sa∙ma. He had a new sensor on his core. It was indigo, like most other sensors, but instead of having an eye, ear, or mouth, it had three triangles pointing in different directions.

  “You're lucky to be alive,” he said, not answering her question.

  “Did you save me?” she asked, still puzzled with why either of them was still alive. A Zalisk doesn’t just turn around and walk away like that.

  “I did. Something extraordinary happened to me.” Sa∙ma quickly shifted his weight between legs, almost hopping. “This new sensor I have is an artifact, a gift from the gods, that gives me greater insight into the world around us. It’s going to improve our ability to be Lumenaries and will be passed from me to you someday. I'm still learning what it can do, but so far it's quite impressive.”

  Gift from the gods? Being alive is a gift from the gods.

  “After leaving you at the camp,” he said, “I went in search of something I saw. As unbelievable as this sounds, I actually found the Fertile Field.”

  “The legendary field of endless energy?” asked Le∙ma.

  “The same. The reason I never saw it before turned out to be that it isn’t always there. It only appears for a brief time to receive the splendor of a deity. I wandered out of the woods and ran into a god! Pi∙ro, to be precise. Never before have I, or any Polyan for generations, had such an honor.”

  Le∙ma sat down. Pi∙ro. This was turning out to be a truly amazing day. “Please tell me while I get my legs back.”

  “Yes, so this is what happened…”

  #

  Sa∙ma bowed before the god. He’d never dreamt of such an encounter happening in his lifetime.

  “Stand!” ordered the god.

  He did so.

  “I am Pi∙ro. What dares to bring you to my sanctuary?”

  “Lord Pi∙ro. I came in search of the Fertile Field, which I believed this circle of violet crystals to be. But I didn’t expect to encounter one such as yourself here.”

  “You have indeed found the Fertile Field, but it is only here when I deem it to be.” Pi∙ro straightened his legs so that his body rose even higher, then relaxed and settled low to the ground. “I like how the violet colors complement my glowing red core. So tell me, Sa∙ma, why should I not extinguish your life?”

  “I can’t suggest the actions of a god. But I've done nothing wrong, unless discovering your resting place here in our world is an offense.”

  “It is not. But there is a price to pay, regardless. You now have to pass my test. If you can answer a riddle for me, I will reward you with a valuable prize. If you fail, I will take your life as compensation for your incompetence.”

  This wasn't what Sa∙ma expected from an encounter with a god. Pi∙ro seemed completely unreasonable and was threatening him with death for stumbling upon him. But gods could do whatever they pleased, he presumed.

  “I bow to your reverence,” he said. “Please give me your riddle.”

  “Here it is. Good luck.”

  Pi∙ro lay on the ground before Sa∙ma so that their eye sensors were at the same level. Then, staring at him, Pi∙ro presented the puzzle:

  I can be any color,

  But I don’t get to choose.

  I command all others,

  In response to my hue.

  Sa∙ma repeated the riddle to himself. It was so simple; the answer couldn’t be what he believed it was. He tried to think of other things to fit the puzzle, but he couldn’t come up with a one.

  “Answer!” commanded Pi∙ro.

  “The Source,” said Sa∙ma, expecting this to be a trick and his life about to end.

  “You are correct!” boomed the god.

  Sa∙ma was shocked. “I am?”

  “Indeed, and for your reward, I present to you this artifact. Attach this to your vacant sensor port. This will give you the power to peer just beneath the world we are in, to sense things a little beyond, and to manipulate things that should not be controllable. Use it wisely, as you have been instructed by me.”

  With that, the ground shook with a boom, and the god and the Fertile Field vanished without a trace.

  In the center of the clearing where Pi∙ro had been, lay a short three-sided rod of indigo material. Each side, on the end, contained a protruding tetrahedron. Sa∙ma picked it up and examined it, then attached it to his core.

  Immediately, he could see once more the god and the Fertile Field, but this time as faint glowing outlines. Were these shadows of where they’d been or were they invisible to all but him?

  “Be gone now,” said the god. “Your apprentice needs you. Quickly!”

  And he truly vanished for good, although the Fertile Field remained a glowing outline.

  #

  “Heeding his words, I sped to you Le∙ma without hesitation. Through the vegetation, I could see your outline, fleeing. I rushed forward and came upon you lying in a ditch, the Zalisk about to crush you. I had no time for fear, and I just thought about it stopping, and it did. Then, as you heard, I commanded it to leave, and it obeyed.”

  Le∙ma looked again at the artifact on his core. No words would come to her. And Sa∙ma stood there speechless as well, just now being able to consider the implications of his encounter. He began to shiver.

  Chapter 15 - Starlight Walk

  “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.” - W. Clement Stone

  They exited the Academic Entrance into the cool night air and cut through the parking lot. It was far from full, but still contained a decent number of cars, probably those of nursing staff and physicians working late rounds. Max staggered and leaned on the trunk of a car. He stood there for a moment inhaling the damp darkness.

  “This was a good idea,” he said. “I feel a little less dizzy. I just wish these cars would stop driving around.”

  “Um, they’re parked,” said Min.

  “Yeah, I suppose so. Actually, they look more like boats than cars.”

  “Just take your time. We’re in no rush. Let’s just walk down the hill and check out the pond.”

  “So, a nature walk?”

  “You could say that.”

  Max pushed off and weaved between the rows of parked cars. Most of them were pretty nice with a disproportionate number of BMWs, Mercedes, and Lexuses. Obviously, the majority of the students had long gone home. Campus night life was pretty much nonexistent at the Health Center. Unless your definition of a good time was hanging out in the library.

  Max lost his balance again and leaned his butt against a black Mercedes.

  “You shouldn’t be sitting on that,” said Min, glancing up and down the road for security vehicles.

 
“What? This?” He looked through the driver’s door at the fine tan leather and wood grain finish inside. He straightened his legs and shook the car; nothing happened, no alarm. He grabbed the driver’s door handle and pulled. The door opened. Before Min could react, Max sat in the car and closed the door.

  “Shit!” she said. She grabbed the handle, but he somehow had the wherewithal to lock the door. She ran around to the other side and tried the passenger door. It opened.

  “What the hell, Max?”

  “Get in,” he said.

  “No fucking way.”

  “Just do it.”

  “You’re gonna get us both arrested. Get out.”

  “Okay… okay.”

  He unlocked the door and opened it, swinging his legs out. Then, before standing up, he reached his hand into the coin holder and pulled out a handful of quarters. As he stood, he dumped them into his pocket, dropping several. They rolled down the parking lot, cutting into the silence with clanging noises.

  “What’s wrong with you?” she asked as she closed the passenger door.

  “Nothing is wrong with me. I'm actually super fine. I feel happy, and I just got tomorrow’s lunch money.”

  “You just broke into a car and stole money.”

  “Hey, these doctors make a fortune. I don’t. Let’s just consider it a private donation to the Spheria project.”

  “No Max, it’s not a donation unless they give it willingly. That’s just wrong.”

  He ignored her. “I read once that LoJack did a study and found that 21 percent of drivers don’t lock their cars. This might prove that result.”

  “Don’t change the subject.”

  “Min, chill. When I agreed to give Graham an exclusive to the Qube technology, I did so because I believed in this project more than anything.” Max began gesturing wildly with his hands, making his balance precarious. “I wanted to be a part of history – to be a participant in the long line of scientists contributing to the collective knowledge of the human race. We have physics down. We’ve got a handle on chemistry. We even know a good deal about the subatomic particle landscape. What’s left? The mind. The mind is what we don’t understand. Well, that and gravity. I’m gonna tackle gravity next.”

  “Impressive,” said Min, approaching him closely.

  “Anyway,” continued Max, less animated. “I still believe in this project, but it pays crap. I could’ve owned this Mercedes if I’d sold the technology to the military, or marketed it to big data analytics companies. I would’ve made a fortune. Instead, I accepted the humble life of a crazy scientist. It’s nights like this that a little piece of me regrets that decision. If Graham wasn’t already a billionaire, I bet he would’ve invested and licensed. It’s not fair he had his opportunity to make it big with technology, but he’s depriving me of it.”

  They both fell silent for a minute. Then Min spoke in a hushed voice. “Stealing isn't a solution, Max. I’m going to believe it’s your current lack of judgment at play here. Let’s keep walking before security comes by.”

  “Sure.”

  They made it to the road and walked side by side, heading toward the lower campus. It was misting. The humidity collecting on the asphalt created a bright reflective sheen. The many lights around the Health Center looked like a city when doubled by their reflections in the pavement.

  They strolled down the road and around some construction areas. Max stumbled a few times, and Min was more than pleased to help support and guide him. In more time than should have been required, the road ended, and they turned left down Main. The street entered a traffic circle, which they crossed. Then they went a short distance down Dowling Way before exiting onto a footpath.

  The small pond was just to their left as the path meandered around it. The surface was dead calm. The trees obscured the lights, allowing Max and Min to glimpse some of the brighter stars. The water appeared to lead into a mirrored dimension through which they could fall into the sky. They came upon a stone bench, and Max plopped down upon it. Min sat next to him.

  Max stared up at the sky for an extended time in complete silence. Min stared at the reflections off the pond’s surface. She wondered if they were looking at the same stars but in completely different directions. Then a bright spot appeared as the moon began to creep over the trees.

  “See,” said Max. “Take the moon, for example.”

  “Example of what?”

  “We landed a spacecraft with people on the moon. Multiple times.”

  “Sure. It’s impressive.”

  “That’s not what I mean. What did we get out of it? America put a flag and some footprints on the moon. So what? Seems like a waste of money just to be able to boast about beating the Russians. But wait. Is that all we got?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “I do. These are the things I pay attention to. We got a ton out of researching how to land a man on the moon.”

  “Like what?”

  “CAT scanners, computer microchips, cordless tools, the ear thermometer, freeze-dried foods, insulation, joysticks, satellite television, scratch resistant lenses, and let’s not forget memory foam. Do you have a memory foam mattress?”

  “No, it’s too expensive for me.”

  “Yeah, me too. But a lot of people have them. And all this cool stuff that helps us live better, richer lives is a product of these scientific missions. I don’t even have time to list all the amazing things that came from the space shuttle program. The point is, if the military had my Qube technology, even if they were using it to develop advanced warships or new forms of weapons, what kind of byproducts would trickle into society and enrich our lives? I almost mourn the lost opportunities. It’s the regret I feel, sometimes, that makes me second guess my decision. That’s all.”

  Max quieted down and gazed up at the moon with droopy eyes. When he finally looked back at Min, her face was mere inches away from his. And then, as if magnets were somehow involved, their lips gently locked together.

  Chapter 16 - Cliffhanger

  “We gain our ends only with the laws of nature; we control her only by understanding her laws.” - Jacob Bronowski

  Le∙ma and Sa∙ma walked back together toward the blue mountains, side by side. Still shaken from their terrifying experiences, they weaved through the foliage. They headed in the general direction of the river.

  “We’ve both been through a remarkable day today,” said Sa∙ma. “The Lumen Walk is meant to be a transitional experience, but this one has gone beyond any I've ever heard of. Traditionally, as I said before, you're left here to figure out how to get back home.”

  “Over the mountains?”

  “Not quite. Look at them.”

  Le∙ma had been, but she focused her full attention on the mountains now. For some reason, they looked larger than before, and more imposing.

  Sa∙ma watched her for a moment, then added, “How will you get over?”

  “My plan was to look for an opening on this side, and take the platforms up again.”

  “That’s the problem, there is no opening or platforms on this side. The mountain looks different because it's nearly vertical. The way we got here isn't the way we return.”

  Le∙ma mulled this over for a bit. “So how long does it take to find an alternative?”

  “About three to four days. The reason is there is no way over that you can find. I don’t want to risk having you wander out here that long after what you've been through. So I will assist you a bit. I have a feeling you'll figure it out in short order regardless.”

  “If I can’t find it,” said Le∙ma without missing a beat, “then I have to make it.”

  “Exactly!” exclaimed Sa∙ma. “You never fail to meet my expectations.”

  “Thank you.”

  They emerged from the foliage and stood on the edge of a river of red. They could see to the left, further down the river, the bridge they’d built on their journey out here. They headed along the shore in that direction.

&nb
sp; “So tell me,” Sa∙ma said. “I mean, use what you know, to find a way to the other side.”

  “Aha. You let slip clues through your questions,” said Le∙ma, as Sa∙ma stopped to study her. “There must be a way to the other side that doesn’t involve going over the mountains.”

  “Go on.”

  “We could dig a passage under the mountains. But if that were possible we’d have arrived that way.”

  “Probable theory.”

  They reached the bridge and began crossing. Le∙ma stopped in the center, peering at the red rock below. The textures covering it seemed to flow in a slow ooze toward the Rift in the distance.

  “If we can’t go over, and we can’t go under, and we can’t go through, then we’ve got to go around.”

  “Around?” mocked Sa∙ma.

  “Yes, around is the only remaining option. But I can see all of the mountains. They start at the Rift, curve around, and meet the Rift again at the other end, thus enclosing this valley. So the only possible place to go around is at the Rift itself.”

  “The mountains,” countered Sa∙ma, “flow into the Rift, so there is no ledge to stand on.” Le∙ma could see, even from this distance, that the mountains tapered toward the Rift. They hung over the edge like giant fingers. Scanning the Rift around the world sphere, she noticed for the first time that the mountains resembled gripping claws. They looked like a massively contorted creature pulling the Rift apart.

  “I see. But I suspect there is some way to solve this, using what I've learned on this journey.”

  “What have you learned?”

  “I've gained a deeper understanding of the properties of the rock. And how the different colors react. In the Colony and valley around it, we have brown rock and green plants, and a river that we never approach. So the extent of our experience is that they just are. They don’t react, other than the green plants growing during a green Source. We’re told the mountains are impassable, and until now, I believed it. So I never had a reason to approach them. We’re also told the river is dangerous and never to approach it, so I always stayed away. It's not until now that I understood the exact nature of why these rules are in place. So I've learned that the blue rock repels everything and that the red rock attracts everything.”