Tales of the Vuduri_Year Five

by Michael Brachman

  Now understand, Stephen Hawking is not saying this is going to happen, rather, he is saying it could happen. The reality is the hysteresis curve will kick in:

  The basis of the hysteresis curve means a process goes up following a certain path but it can't accelerate forever. Something is going to come along and eventually slow its growth. It this particular case, it might be the food supply, global warming, natural disasters, whatever. And the other thing the hysteresis curve shows us is the path up is not always the same as the path down. Once population in brought into check (some people think it will level off by 2100), then people and science may find ways to reverse the damage much more quickly than imagined.

  All this doom and gloom espoused by the not-yet Nobel Prize winner had a point. He wants us to be a multi-planetary species and soon. In fact, he wants us to go to other solar systems. This would have two effects. First, it would relieve our planet of runaway overpopulation. Second, should a disaster or even a red-hot glow destroy the Earth, then the human species would continue to survive.

  So while the "hell" designation might be a little hyperbolic, there is a good point behind it that I support wholeheartedly. After all, the universe of Rome’s Revolution couldn't happen unless we get off this Earth. So let's get going.

  Entry 5-319: November 15, 2017

  Hyper-fusion

  Everybody knows about atoms and atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs. Those iconic images of mushroom clouds invoke unfathomable power. Atomic bombs use nuclear fission and hydrogen (or thermonuclear) bombs use nuclear fusion. Fusion reactors have been touted as one possible source of renewable, nearly inexhaustible energy drawn from water, of all places. Sounds very enticing, right?

  Well, a group of scientists have put forward the theory that there may be a source of energy no less than ten times more powerful than nuclear fusion. They have postulated that there is a reaction when you fuse quarks together that releases an incomprehensible amount of energy. And you don't need specialized equipment to extract deuterium or tritium from seawater. All elementary particles are made of quarks. Splitting atoms up into quarks and then getting them to fuse is not something you can do in your basement, at least not today. Right now, you need something like the Large Hadron Collider operated by CERN but it has been done. The Higgs Boson was confirmed to exist three years ago. It is the fermion that actually carries the dimension of mass. You just need to smash matter together really, really hard and you get a shower of quarks and other subatomic particles.

  So say we have an "easy" way to produce quarks. Turning this theoretical discussion into a functional reactor producing usable power is way, way off in the future, if ever. But still, the idea of limitless, free energy taken from ordinary matter is the stuff of science fiction. That is until it becomes science fact. After all, that is the reasoning behind the entire Rome’s Revolution universe. Once you have limitless, free energy, mankind can evolve and pursue tasks and discoveries without having to worry about paying for dinner each night.

  Entry 5-320: November 16, 2017

  The Ethereal Battle

  Rome’s Evolution is not only about our favorite heroine's ascension in terms of personal power, it is also an evolution in how I wrote stories. For example, I never really had a good handle on fight scenes. In Rome’s Revolution, I had a choreographed fight beneath Kilauea between Rome and Rei and Estar and her guard but it wasn't that well done. It took me days of marching back and forth across my basement carpet trying to figure out where each combatant's limbs were at all times.

  In Rome’s Evolution, I kicked it up a notch with the fight scene between Rei and Dan Steele, the would-be assassin. I had been planning that scene since the beginning. That was the reason for giving Rei the portable PPT tunnel vest to protect his back. In that scene, Steele lost a hand and then he lost his consciousness when Rome bashed him over the head with a rock.

  But now we are getting to the denouement of Rome’s Evolution and I wanted the fight to take place on two planes. One was the earthly plane, one that we could all see. The second was on the ethereal plane, one that could only be seen in the mind. I got it into my head that each person could have a their own specific color, like tinted ghosts and the colors would help you figure out who was doing what.

  I made Rome red and Rei blue. Lupe, who had just been conceived, was floating around as a tiny pink wisp. Reema, the leader of the Onsiras, would be orange. Sussen, who comes along at the most inopportune time would be emerald green and MASAL's Sipre or Shadow would be black. Late to the fight, Bonnie came in colored brightly yellow. It's a good thing I didn't have more characters because I would have run out of colors!

  So it would be a battle royale of minds and spirits and colors taking place in two universes, one of the mind and one of the body. I flashed back and forth showing you the physical toll that the mental battle extracted. It's pretty interesting so let's get to it.

  Entry 5-321: November 17, 2017

  Reconnection

  Before the Ethereal Battle could begin, Rome had to reconnect to MASAL's prosthetic 24th chromosome so she enter the world of the Sipre. She had forgotten that these genes had been injected into Rei as well but he had not. There was no way Rei was going to let Rome fight the Sipre without him being there to help:

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Rei asked. “The last time I was in that Overmind, I can tell you from personal experience, it wasn’t a nice place.”

  “It’s the only way,” Rome said. “MINIMCOM?”

  MINIMCOM stepped over and placed his hands against Rome’s temples. “It is done,” he said. “Your prosthetic PPT transceivers now connect you directly to the Onsiras.”

  “You may as well do me too,” Rei said. “I’m not letting her go down there alone.”

  Rome cocked her head at him. “I can do this myself,” she said. “You don’t need to.”

  “Yes I do,” Rei said. “I’m not letting you go in there by yourself.” He waved at MINIMCOM. The livetar stepped toward Rei and lifted his arms to repeat the process. Rei steeled himself to keep the connection off until the time was right.

  “Are my babies out there?” Bonnie asked, pointing toward the front.

  “Your babies?” Reema asked.

  “The children, from Helome,” Bonnie replied. “The ones that Sussen stole away from me.”

  “Yes,” Reema replied, with a hint of regret. “They are here.”

  Bonnie turned toward Rei. “I want to go with you,” she said. “I want to see them.”

  “You can’t,” Rei said. “You don’t understand these people; what they are capable of.”

  “You two are going,” Bonnie replied with a pout on her face.

  “Yes, but we’ll be connected,” Rei pointed out. “We’ll know what they are doing, thinking, the whole time.”

  “Then what if you connected me?” Bonnie asked desperately. “So I’ll know? Can you do that?”

  Rei thought back to the one yellow vial they had recovered from Ursay’s ruined study. “In theory,” Rei said. “But you’ve never had any training. They could suck you in.”

  “I don’t care,” Bonnie insisted. “I want to see them. To be with them.”

  Rei shook his head. “Let us sort this thing out, first,” he said. “Then we can talk about it.”

  Bonnie started to speak then clamped her mouth closed. She sighed deeply. Meanwhile, Rome stooped down so that she was eye level with Aason.

  “Mommy and Daddy are going to go rescue Grandmea and Grandbeo,” she said. “You must stay here with Bonnie and MINIMCOM. They will take care of you until we come back.”

  Aason stamped his foot. “You always leave me, Mommy. Can’t I go with you?”

  As I have mentioned many times, Aason is a great character but he is just a child and when it is time for intense action, I really don't want him around. And yet Rome had just found him. What to do?

  Entry 5-322: November 18, 2017

  The Ethereal World

  Ye
sterday, Rome had her prosthetic PPT transceivers, injected into her by agents of MASAL, reconnect her to the Sipre's samanda. Despite Rome's protests, Rei had himself reconnected too. Bonnie requested the same but was denied. It was time for Rome (and Rei) to go out and do battle. Aason, who was just rescued, was understandably upset that his Mom was now leaving him again. This broke Rome's heart but it had to be done:

  “Aason, I love you so much,” Rome said, “but it’s too dangerous. Let Daddy and me go. We’ll be back as quick as we can. But I have to keep you protected. Do you understand?”

  “No,” he said at first. Then Aason nodded sadly. “Yes, Mommy,” he said. “I understand. But please be careful.”

  Rome leaned forward to rest on her knees. She put her arms around her son and hugged him tight. “We will, baby,” she said. “This is so we can all be safe. Now and forever.”

  “OK, Mommy,” the little boy said bravely. He turned and walked over and hugged his father as well.

  Rome stood up and turned to face Reema. “We will release your hands and remove your T-suppressor as soon as we are clear of the ship. I cannot have my son in harm’s way.”

  “I understand,” said Reema. “Whether I trust you or not, you will be in my domain so regardless, that will suffice.”

  “OK, MINIMCOM,” Rome said. “Don’t go far.”

  “I will be overhead, awaiting word,” the livetar replied.

  Rei tucked the Beretta into the waistband behind his back then reached forward and pressed the blue stud. They waited until the cargo hatch raised up and the ramp lowered then together, the three humans strode down the ramp. As soon as they were clear, the process reversed and MINIMCOM shimmered and disappeared. The air whipped around as an unseen MINIMCOM activated his EG lifters, presumably to rise up in the air.

  Once the air had settled, Rei turned Reema around and released the elastic band binding her arms. At the same time, Rome lifted the T-suppressor off of Reema’s brow. Reema nodded and pointed ahead. As soon as she did that, Rome heard shouting off in the distance. The three of them started walking forward toward the noise.

  “I’m going in,” Rome said, reaching for Rei’s hand.

  “Me, too,” Rei replied and both of them allowed their connection to MASAL’s samanda to come alive.

  To Rei, it was the strangest sensation. Even though his eyes could still see the real world perfectly well, a second, more ethereal world became visible. He looked down at Rome. He could see her physical body but he could also see her as a magnificent spirit, bright red, almost like a flickering flame. Right beside her was a tiny pink spark, flitting around, even brighter than Rome.

  In case you haven't guessed it, that pink spark was Lupe who was conceived only a few days ago. Now it was time to take on MASAL's Sipre.

  Entry 5-323: November 19, 2017

  The Sipre Comes

  Yesterday, Rome and Rei activated their prosthetic 24th chromosome that Estar had injected them with back when they were prisoners beneath the volcano Kilauea. MINIMCOM had re-activated them allowing our intrepid couple to enter the Ethereal World. Now that they are in it, they see things are not physically real but are psychically real. It won't take MASAL's Sipre, his Shadow, very long to find them:

  Rei turned to look at Reema and experienced the same apparition although her spirit blazed bright orange. He held out his free hand and saw a blue aura wavering around it, expanding with each heart beat. He was able to will his spirit to rise up, separate from his body and looked down at the others. Somehow he was able to process both sets of inputs at once. Strange was no longer an adequate word to describe the phenomenon.

  “Where are we?” he asked Rome using the new PPT channel, rather than the old, familiar, EM link.

  “This is the world of the Sipre,” Rome replied, somewhat preoccupied. She was surveying the ethereal landscape intently, looking for her parents. At last, she found her mother, off in the distance, dull and nearly lifeless. Only a small ember of her spirit remained. She could find her father nowhere. However, in physical proximity to her mother, at least in the ethereal world, sparked another flame that identified itself as Ursay. From her mother’s spirit, she was able the sense that her father was being transformed into a Zengei. This saddened Rome and she would have to deal with it but first things first.

  For now, she lifted her ethereal vision and could see swirling spirits of many different colors emerging. The spirits swooped and soared around her, thin and wispy. Way off in the distance, a green spirit blazed but it was indistinct.

  Rei saw them too. Through his earthly eyes, he could see human bodies coming toward them but most of their spirits were of a dark and dull color. Looming behind them was a much larger cloud, glinting, metallic, that drifted over the top and settled down in front of them. It congealed into the form of a black, hooded stranger. Rei used his earthly eyes and saw nothing. But in the ethereal world, more spirits were flocking in their direction making it crowded in a way that was indescribable. They could see no face within the folds of stranger’s robes but they both could feel the malice radiating from the entity.

  “Give me your child,” the stranger said to Rome.

  “Never,” Rome’s bright red spirit replied. “He is safe now and will be forever.” All around Rome’s flame, the tiny pink spark buzzed, almost as if it was trying to echo her words.

  “He is the child of a half-blood and this living abomination,” said the spirit, pointing at Rei’s blue glow. “He can only be saved by making him one of us.”

  That tiny pink spark is Lupe, of course. And the Sipre is not going to take no for an answer. You can bet a battle will ensue.

  Entry 5-324: November 20, 2017

  The Sipre's Secret

  Yesterday, Rome and Rei finally met MASAL's Sipre, MASAL's shadow, in the Ethereal World. The only thing the Sipre had to say was to demand that Rome hand over her son, Aason. Obviously, Rome refused. The time had come for Reema, who was also in the Ethereal World, to confront the Sipre and find out if the video that she had seen was the truth or a fabrication:

  Reema’s orange spirit lifted up. “Master Sipre, this is inconsequential,” she said. “Is it true that MASAL disavowed our mission before he died?”

  “NO!” shouted the stranger. “Who told you that?”

  “My earthly body saw the recording of the day he died,” she said.

  Even as they were speaking, Rei felt himself being drawn in toward the crowd. The idea of being part of the whole was so seductive; he had almost given in to it last time. He heard the whispers of ‘join us’, ‘join us’, in the background, even as the other spirits were confronting one another. He uttered the words ‘blue crystal reader’ to himself and suddenly, he was back, under Kilauea, fitted within crystalline walls. The old discipline returned. OMCOM had taught him the techniques necessary. He could be connected but remain himself. Obviously, Rome had been doing it for years. In the real world, she was glowering. In the ethereal world, her red spirit attacked the black one.

  “What is your mission?” Rome’s spirit shouted out.

  “For us to become a god,” the black spirit barked back. “That is the goal of all life.”

  “But you are not alive,” Rome insisted. “You are just an echo of MASAL. You even call yourself the Shadow. You should be serving your charges, not directing them.”

  “Who are you to say?” the Sipre spat back. “I know what MASAL wanted and I will fulfill his dream.”

  Reema’s orange spirit pulsed and grew brighter. “Tell me the truth, Master Sipre. Do you say that MASAL did not admit he was wrong?”

  The Sipre started to grow. Flashes of light, like tiny ripples of lightning, streaked across his being. “All right,” he answered. “I see in your mind you know the truth. Yes, MASAL did say those words, but he was not in his right mind at the time. The mission he assigned to us was thought out well before he was attacked. His judgment was obviously impaired right at the end.”

  “Even so, why keep th
is secret from us?” Reema asked plaintively. “We deserved to know all of MASAL’s plans. From what I saw, he was only using us so he alone could achieve godhood. And now you. What are you? MASAL never planned on involving us. Are you saying you are different?

  “No,” answered the Sipre derisively. “You are all just a means to the end. That is why you were born. That is why you live. It is the spirit of MASAL, me, who has earned this fate.”

  So now the truth is out there. MASAL had given up on his dream of converting humans to living robots. The Onsira's mission was over. How would the Sipre deal with the consequences of admitting this was so?

  Entry 5-325: November 21, 2017

  The Sipre Fights Back

  Yesterday, MASAL's Sipre, his shadow, admitted to Reema, the leader of the Onsiras, that they were merely a means to an end and had no value. What is worse, the Sipre admitted that MASAL had conceded that his plan was flawed and wanted to make amends. The Sipre would have nothing of it: