Seymore's Interlude

by Franci Neale

  Chapter 32

  Breakthrough

  Geralty was in his room and heard Seymore before he saw him. Seymore entered through the double doors to the library and was talking out loud the entire time it took for him to reach Geralty’s room. He seemed to be almost crazed. Geralty was startled when he walked in to the room with a wild look on his face and talking loud and fast.

  Geralty ushered him to a chair and pulled his own chair over to sit right in front of him. Geralty said, “Seymore, what is going on. What are you talking about?” Seymore continued to talk on in the same wild and meaningless way. Geralty said, “Look, you’ve got to stop this. You’re not making any sense at all.” And then finally he put his hands on Seymore’s shoulders, did his best to make some kind of eye contact and firmly said, “Stop!”

  Fortunately, it worked, Seymore stopped. Oddly he looked outrageously happy with a wide silly grin and eyes that were ablaze with excitement. He was on fire about something. Geralty carefully asked him, “Can you tell me what’s going on? Go slow, there’s no rush.”

  Seymore leaned back in the chair and simply said, “I can’t believe it. I know exactly how to provide for the great light and the light travelers. I know how to attract them and I know how to send them home.” Geralty began to relax and smiled.

  “What happened that makes you so sure that you have the solutions?” Geralty asked. He really wanted to know. Seymore leaned forward and said in a clear voice with perfect composure, “I had a message from Valentino and the last bits of necessary information were all there. As I was walking in from the pergola I was thinking about the message and finally realized that there’s nothing like getting a good answer to a good question. ”He paused and smiled still slightly giddy and so pleased he looked like he might again go into another outrageous display. Geralty really wanted to keep everything in control, but he wasn’t sure if Seymore did.

  He asked Seymore, “Tell me about the message.” Seymore, more in control now, said, “It was from Valentino and it said lots of things but the thing that finally created the breakthrough was that Rim stuff goes with Rim stuff. Rim stuff seeks its own.” He looked as if he might revert to his previous ranting, but then he asked, “Do you see?” Geralty said he didn’t and asked for more information.

  Seymore now was back to himself and very carefully started talking about what he now knew that he had missed before. “Geralty, I learned that the answer for being in service at this station is to provide the materials that are actual Rim stuff. Until now I wrongly assumed that there was a way to help the lights and the travelers using stuff that is not at The Rim. I assumed that was possible. It’s not. There is Rim stuff right here at ES360 that the lights and their travelers relate to. And with Valentino’s excellent help we are going to have lots more of it. I’m not making much sense, am I?” He stopped. His mind was racing in a search for the right words to say what he now knew.

  He tried again, “Here are a few things I now know are true. Rim stuff is attracted to only Rim stuff. There is a supply of Rim stuff available. Our mission is in three parts: It is to attract the great lights and their travelers; they are made exclusively of Rim Stuff. We are to accommodate the wishes of the travelers to play out their stories when they are lodged in the dome. We now have a resource of Rim Stuff and a means of knowing the travelers’ stories and of providing for their re-creation. Our last job is to allow the greeters we now know how to create to coax the travelers to want to return. As soon as they do the light will take them safely back to The Rim.”

  Geralty looked at Seymore while he replayed in his mind what he had just said. He had some questions. “I don’t understand what the resource is for the Rim Stuff. and how are we going to learn what the traveler’s desires are?” Seymore gave Geralty the smile that said I-absolutely-know-the-correct-answer-to-that-question. Geralty sincerely hoped he did have an answer and that it was going to make perfect sense; so far not much had.

  Seymore patiently and cheerfully resumed, “Valentino just sent a message that said the holograms that are coming to us are images that all contain Rim traces and cell memory. It means that those images contain not just the construct but the actual materials that can be impressed with the traveler’s desires just like their light is aware of their needs and situation. And our Jesmond has developed a means of communicating with The Watcher through short Rim stories. She can read the stranded light’s emotions easily as well through her communication with The Watcher.

  “When a great light arrives it will incorporate the stranded light just like Sarah’s light did. Our Watcher will know the story of the arriving traveler and can tell it to Jesmond who can tell us. We provide the necessary holograms and they can enter the light and play out the scenario of the traveler’s story. They will be impressed with the needed details just like the great lights are. They can also inspire the traveler to return. Though I am beginning to believe that the light wants to return to The Rim in their own right; and it seems likely that the traveler naturally wants to return and is simply looking for a safe and easy way to make that choice. It’s good to remember that Sarah’s first question was ‘Can you send me back?’ Geralty it is nearly perfect. There are a few small details, but we have the solution.” Seymore noticeably relaxed and leaned back in his chair still grinning with an abundance of joy.

  “After thinking about this for so long I nearly burst when I first figured it out. I must have made a complete fool of myself. But, honestly, I’d do it again in a minute. It was actually a big relief to go a little crazy.” He chuckled and his expression was open, clear and his eyes danced with the pure pleasure borne of extraordinary achievement. Geralty was delighted and he finally understood what Seymore did. It was amazing and he could hardly wait to write it up in his history of Seymore Place.

  Seymore stood and started to slowly pace around Geralty’s room. As he walked he talked. “I’m going to set out the full process and you make note of any questions or things you don’t understand, Geralty. When I’m through we can review it and make corrections and adjustments.” Geralty nodded his agreement and sat at his deck with pen and paper at the ready.

  Seymore’s Great Light Process

  When a great light is formed it is made from Units of Energy that are particular to The Rim. The light is made, actually caused, by a creator for their own reasons for the purpose of leaving The Rim before they have completed their chosen purpose. The power and velocity of the light speeds its creator away from The Rim environment. It will naturally be attracted to other Rim materials. Once the traveler and the light surpass The Rim’s primary environment it searches for a safe place. The entire purpose of the light is to find safety for its traveler.

  The lights will come to our dome because there is a portion of Rim material here. The stranded light (The Watcher) is all Rim material. Any lights that form and leave The Rim will automatically come to our dome because it holds the largest collection of Rim material outside of The Rim.

  As I said before it is likely that both the light and its traveler have an inherent and natural desire to return to The Rim. The light is the traveler’s creation and has the same intents and desires. The light knows what it’s doing

  We have established a match for the light’s desire which is primarily safety. We now can also provide a way for the story of the traveler to be conveyed, understood and re-created. The Watcher’s light will automatically blend with a great light when it lands in the dome and its needs and story will be impressed on The Watcher who can tell it to Jesmond. When we know the story we can select the best holograms to fit the story and send them into the light. They will be able to enter because they are carrying Rim traces and memory cells. The desires of the traveler will automatically be attracted to the holograms and they can create the best possible tableau that will inspire the traveler to act on their natural desire to return to The Rim. Once that desire takes hold the great light will leave and
take them home. It has no choice of its own and will perfectly and faithfully follow the needs and desires of its cherished rider”

  When he was finished he sat down in the chair and the silence was alive. Both were trying to open their minds wide enough to take in the magnitude of the information. There was knowledge that would not just provide for the great lights and their travelers but some of it could change assumptions and even long held beliefs about the nature of The Rim and the scope and meaning of all the facilities that support the creators there. It was quite astonishing.

  After a long period of intense concentration, Seymore said, “Will you write up everything you heard me say and your understanding of what it means and I will do the same. Then we can compare our versions and blend them to get the best and most comprehensive record. It is important to do it soon as I don’t want any of it to slip away. We can add to it as we go along, but we need to start to pull the plan together so we can do the best possible job of bringing ES360 to completion and full function. ”They both stood and exchanged and strong and richly meaningful embrace. They had work to do.

  Seymore slowly left to go across the hall to his study to put his version of his knowledge on paper and Geralty sat down at his desk to do the same. Both worked with great purpose and excitement to produce their renditions of the information and soon were back together, this time in Seymore’s study to make the composite. When they were finished Seymore carefully put the record of the solution in a folder and slipped it into the top drawer of his desk.

  He looked very seriously at Geralty and said, “Weren’t you planning a celebration? I think you have something more you can add as a reason for the festivities.” Geralty laughed and said he had the plans in his room and that he would include the big news in the event. He added, “I want to keep Jesmond’s contributions as the center of the occasion because her accomplishments in making a relationship with The Watcher were a key element to your amazing conclusions.” Seymore nodded, put his hand on Geralty’s shoulder and said, “You are exactly right.”

  At that moment Mesa and Jesmond peeked around the corner of the study door and asked if they could come in. Seymore said they were very welcome and invited them to sit on the day bed. He pointed Geralty to the big chair, but he sat on the ottoman instead. Seymore said, “What do you have on your minds?”

  Stepping up to Seymore’s desk Jesmond unrolled the drawings of the box for Seymore Place memories and asked, “What do you think of these. We made several different designs for the treasure chest, which I want to call the Memory Trove, and we would like to decide on one so we can make it. And we made a few sketches for the cupboard.” Mesa was watching Jesmond and noticed that her confidence was growing by leaps and bounds now that she was clear about her job. Her new confidence coupled with her already formidable skills and sense of daring were going to make her a force to be reckoned with.

  Geralty looked over Seymore’s shoulder and said, “These are really good, Jesmond. Did you make them?” The young Mercury scrap smiled and said she had lots of help from Mesa. Then she asked, “Could you make them better for us?” Geralty said he’d be glad to. In the back of his mind he was thinking that he’d embellish the drawings and make them another part of his celebration plans.

  Geralty wondered if Seymore was going to reveal his breakthrough on the function of the station. He didn’t seem to want to so Geralty excused himself and went back to his party planning. Jesmond was right behind him and asked if she could watch while he improved her sketches. Geralty said she could and she sat on the wide window sill holding Fred while he went over the sketches and added details and color refinements. When he was finished he asked for her approval which she gladly gave. He asked if he could keep the drawings for a little while so he could think about them and possibly add a few details as they occurred to him. She smiled said that was fine and that she would like to take Fred with her. Geralty said, “That’s up to Fred.” She put Fred down on the floor and slowly walked out of the room and Fred was right on her heels. She gave Geralty a knowing glance and was off to parts unknown.

  Geralty still didn’t have a new project, and the celebrations plans were in order so he went across to see if Seymore was still in his study. He was and he was able to cover all of his agenda right away. He told Seymore that everything for the celebration was in order and he that needed to know what his next project was.

  Seymore said that any time he was ready was a good time for the celebration and he didn’t have all the information together for his next project, but he’d tell him about it as soon as he did. For now Geralty could just enjoy himself and that’s what Seymore wanted to do as well.