by James Murdo
She sighed and walked right up to Sky-Soarer. Up close, she could see bulky muscles around its dark body, which extended and covered its wings like a parasite. One of the wings moved to the side. The other bent, and the claws at the end delved into the mesh surrounding Sky-Soarer’s body. An opening was revealed, containing a device. The wing extended towards Seremend.
“What is it?” she asked.
A translator. Not suited to my kind. It is in exchange for your companion’s gift to me.
“You’re giving this to me?” She looked into its glowing yellow eyes.
Take it.
42
POSITIVE TRANSLATION
They waded through dense foliage packed with dark-green stems that rose high into the air, ranging from the thickness of a finger to many times that of Galphranx’s body. Short, smaller stems sprouted from the ground, with magenta bulbs at the ends, and light blue bushes bespeckled with black buds filled the empty space around them. The sky was barely visible, although where small patches of the overhead canopy opened up, intermingling wisps of amber-red, blue and creamy white hues all swirling gently around each other were visible – like clouds, although less substantive.
Seremend did not recognise the territory by any means but felt more comfortable than anywhere else they had travelled so far. Galphranx followed more closely than before, still no longer trailing behind, but beside her where space allowed. They pushed through where the forest offered the least resistance, and in the direction of the noise.
“Getting louder now,” she said to Galphranx, pointing ahead of them. At that exact moment, a small drone-like object whirred over them, attaching itself to the thick main segment of a high-up stem, just beneath where a smaller stem component branched off. Seremend watched as two rods extended from either side of the drone. One clamped around the smaller stem component, while the other vibrated and sliced through where it connected to the main stem trunk. The drone flew back the way it had come, holding the segment.
Seremend walked forwards, pulling a mass of light blue bush to the side. She stopped and smiled. The drone dropped the stem component onto a heap, and whirred back towards them, disappearing behind them into the forest. Other drones also whirred around in the air.
Settlement.
The land sloped down sharply between them and the settlement, leaving a clear space that was devoid of thick forest or dwellings.
“Small one,” she said, nodding.
All manner of strange edifices had been erected next to each other, clearly reflecting an array of architectural styles. It was bizarre, although there was a common theme – the thick green stems of the surrounding forest had been used to construct them. Most appeared designed for ground level use. The only exception was a large, pure white obelisk-construction that rose up from within the settlement, towering over everything else. It punched high into the multicoloured atmosphere, looking both strange and intuitively correct.
Directly ahead of them, near the pile of cut stems, multiple figures attended to an unfinished building.
“At least they’re working together,” Seremend muttered, taking the translation device out of her pack. “Right, let’s hope this works.” She pressed the only button she could find. The device buzzed in response.
They went a little way along the bank and shimmied down a shallower break. There were six figures working on the apparently unfinished building. They approached slowly.
Three were similar-looking bipedals, almost twice her height. The very closest dropped a large, dark green stem segment, and swivelled deftly to face her in a surprisingly flexible movement. The centre of its loosely clothed body appeared to narrow to a very thin point. It was pale-skinned, with thin green, pulsing veins visibly streaking across the exposed parts of its body. It had short, thick dual-arms joined on opposite sides of its upper body, which tapered towards their ends. Seremend realised the other two bipedals did not only look similar, they looked almost exactly the same. They were the same species.
“If yourself doesn’t carry a specified translation device, ourselves speak certified Golandric Standard, the territory’s standard, that is.” It craned down unnervingly as it spoke, so that their heads were almost level. From the corners of her eyes, Seremend noticed the fixed crimson-glowing fixtures along the sides of the dwelling had brightened, and two other drones had emerged, hanging menacingly in the air above them.
“I have a device,” Seremend replied.
“What’s yourself’s particular species?” it demanded.
“Roranian.” She smiled.
“New to myself. Positively, never heard the name, although itself could be an error in translation. Myself is a Phratian.”
“I’m a Roranian, from the Alliance.”
“Too ambiguous and generic,” it said, swatting away at the drones above them. The drones circled back, and the glowing fixtures on the dwelling also dimmed.
“Does the name Tolren sound familiar? Or the Original?”
“Regrettably, the same answer applies.”
“Alright. Any copies here?”
“Copies?”
“Of the Original. He’s similar to me, of my species.”
“What copies?”
“Machine-lect copies.”
“Machine-lect copies of yourself’s kind created within the Outer Layer? Creation of life is not permitted here.”
“Besides the copies,” she replied.
“Impossible. Yourself is mistaken. Life can only be preserved. The fact itself has been demonstrated, irrefutably. Applies to everything, including machine-lects. Nothing new.”
She frowned. “The copies must be rarer in these territories then. I suppose they can’t be everywhere.”
“There must be a misunderstanding between myself and yourself. Rare then. Myself would have remembered, surely. However, given a partial understanding of the confusing question, the answer is no.”
Seremend grimaced, with a growing sensation of unease. “Prood?”
“Nothing helps the recollection. Yourself may require longer waiting and searching, if there are otherselves to be found. Ourselves took more than tens of thousands of Golandric-standard years to unite, here.” It pointed to one of its two compatriots who was cutting a stem segment using a tool that emitted a faint, blue beam. “Herself only recently arrived from the Spires, therefore the dimensions need increasing.” It motioned to their building work.
“You’re very fortunate to have three,” Seremend said, quietly.
“Myself had the idea to settle and wait for otherselves,” the Phratian said, proudly. “Yourselves may also consider such actions, in time.”
“Possibly,” Seremend said. “But there’s a territory we need to find, first.”
The compatriot who had been gestured towards carefully put the stem segment and tool onto the ground and swung her body around. “Rum’nen,” she said in a deeper voice, sauntering towards them. “Explain yourself, please.”
The one who had been speaking to Seremend swivelled slightly. “Simply helping a traveller, as yourself recently was.”
“Myself, the name is Tum’nen,” the newcomer said to Seremend. “Yourselves?”
“I’m Seremend. This is Galphranx.”
“Have yourselves travelled from near? The companion speaks too?”
Seremend looked at Galphranx. “Not much. We came from back that way,” she said, pointing behind her. “From the… red territory, alongside a blue territory that was too pressured for us to–”
“Red? Blue?” Tum’nen made some strange squeaking sounds. “The journey of myself was different. More recently, the diamond-fall landscape…” She paused, but Seremend said nothing. “… the land with the pole-forest and lights from the ground–”
“Us too,” Seremend said. “We were attacked by a creature.”
“Attacked? Itself was highly eloquent and courageous.”
“It tried to drag us under–”
“How long have yourselv
es possessed the ability for translation?”
Seremend hesitated. “After that.”
“Then the situation was misunderstood. Unless dense rain does not affect yourselves?”
“Dense rain?” Seremend asked.
“The brave creature risks life for ourselves. Difficult to travel in the open, but itself does to help. Presumably, without understanding intentions, the situation may have appeared different. The pole-forest is a vast, great creature in itself, with disparate poles connected down below into a multi-parted being that is well protected against the rain, and floats atop a dangerous liquid surface. Yourself must have heard the hum of the liquid waves?”
Seremend nodded, slowly. “So that was the sound.”
“Indeed. The pole-forest encourages creatures within itself to help fellow travellers. Many have perished without such valiant accompaniment.”
Seremend was still nodding. “I see.”
“And after that?” Tum’nen asked.
Seremend explained, more hesitantly than before, where else they had travelled. Tum’nen did not recognise their other travels, although it did appear they had both been wandering within the Outer Layer for a similar amount of time. Tum’nen, in turn, related the rest of her own travels, before fortunately encountering the other Phratians.
“The most strange, but eminently survivable, was the atmosphere of pure light, rendering key senses useless.” Tum’nen pointed at her eyes.
“Travelled through there myself,” Rum’nen interrupted. “Highly strange. Yourself wanders without the most dependable abilities. Almost similar to visiting one of the Large settlements – which myself doesn’t advise – they think too differently there, and on such strange scales. There’s danger. The light territory also did border a gentle territory of light blue skies, does itself not? Yellow paths and green land, shallow hills. Cool breezes and–”
Seremend’s eyes widened in alert. “What d’you mean ‘did border’?”
Rum’nen swayed. “The territories are beyond what can be termed vast. Changing over time, in type and boundary. The reference was intended to encompass the possibility that itself has gone.”
“Is the name Meandrith familiar to you?”
“Itself is not.”
“Ferwenth? Grondern?”
“Neither themselves either.”
“What more can you tell me about that place? I want to find it.”
“The time was long ago, and recollections unfortunately fade. But the memories myself gained were all stored there.” Rum’nen pointed up, towards the large, towering obelisk at the centre of the settlement. “Alongside all themselves who settle here.”
“The tower?” Seremend pointed, to be sure.
“Towers, certainly. Certainly. Itself encompasses the local hatch-point. If the information sought by yourself cannot be found there, other nearby settlements in this territory may provide better. Some have upwards of a million settlers, with thriving industries. Just refrain from the Large settlements, as myself explained. Around here, is new. But if yourself wants to settle here permanently, and gaining protection…” Rum’nen pointed back towards the glowing lights on the dwelling behind it. “Then going and speaking to the Masses is a must.”
“The Masses are in the tower?”
“Yes.”
She cast a brief glance at Galphranx. “Then that’s where we should go, thank you.”
“The territory around yourself, for which yourself and Galphranx are evidently adapted, is not more appealing than that which yourself seeks? The settlement is safe.”
Seremend took a deep breath. “I was separated from the companion of my species. That same territory would attract him too, I hope.”
Rum’nen and Tum’nen glanced at each other. Rum’nen replied, “Ourselves wish yourself luck, then. This place seems to draw ourselves together. Maybe, probably for yourselves too.”
“When will you attempt to enter the Inner Layer? The three of you.”
“A short matter of time, no longer. Ourselves understand the unlikeliness of more than three, but ourselves shall wait some time longer, in case of more Phratians.”
“Phratians.” Seremend smiled. “I’m glad you found each other. And thank you for the help.”
Both tipped their heads to the side, in what Seremend assumed was a nod-like gesture. “Hopefully yourself finds that which yourself seeks,” Tum’nen said.
Seremend began to head to the side of the building. There was a space between it and the next that extended for some way. The settlement looked to be arranged in a grid format. There were various bizarre figures going about their activities.
I agree. We should go to the green land with the yellow paths and the blue skies.
She raised an eyebrow and stared at Galphranx. “Excuse me?”
43
STEMMED SETTLEMENT
They headed towards the towering white obelisk. Despite the whirring drones and dim crimson lights along the dwellings, the green stems everywhere gave the settlement a pleasant, earthy ambiance.
While almost every creature appeared different, Seremend was comforted by the familiarity of all the variety. The time she had spent in the Outer Layer was coming back to her as though she had never left. Galphranx had not said anything recently, but her eyes flickered over it frequently, with interest.
They turned a corner, and Seremend peered around them. There were ditches at the bases of some of the dwellings, and upon closer inspection, bone white foundations underneath – the same colour as the obelisk.
A small creature, covered in thick, green hair, humorously resembling an oversized baby, was sitting slumped over, with its legs dangling into one of the ditches and its back to a dwelling. Curiosity getting the better of her, Seremend walked over and stood on the other side, facing it.
“Hello.” She kept her arms unthreateningly by her hips. “Do you mind if I ask you a question?”
The creature looked up. Its front was largely hairless, instead covered with creased, white skin. Its eyes, startlingly similar to a Roranian’s, peered keenly at her.
“Do what you want,” it said, looking back down. Its voice was low and rumbling.
She knelt down. “What’s that?”
The creature looked up and saw her arm pointing at the white foundations beneath where its legs dangled. “Just arrived here?”
She nodded. “Yes.”
“And your friend,” it asked, nodding towards Galphranx.
“Both of us, yes.”
“Long in the Outer Layer?”
“Recent arrivals.”
“Interesting.”
She prepared to stand. “If it’s an inconvenience, I can ask someone else–”
“I didn’t say that,” it snapped. She saw multiple sets of razor-like teeth within its mouth. “Have you come from any other settlements before this one?”
“This is the first,” she replied.
“Well… it only gets better than this, I can assure you of that.”
Seremend pursed her lips. “Thank you for talking–”
“It’s the remnants of another city, or settlement. Whatever was here a long time ago, buried. I call it the Under-Town.”
“What happened to it?”
“Nobody knows.”
The creature said nothing else, so Seremend nodded. “Thank you, we should be going now.”
“Wait!” It stood up. At full height, the top of its head was level with Seremend’s waist. “Can you find a stem segment, and put it across?” It pointed to the ditch between them, which presumably ran around the creature’s dwelling. “Unfortunately, my piece fell down and I–”
It’s lying to you.
Seremend stared at Galphranx. “What did you say?”
Something touched the small of her back, and she turned to see another green, furry creature. She stepped back in surprise.
“Don’t listen to him,” the creature said to her, pointing at the other one on the other side of the ditc
h. “He’s affected by a quirk we sometimes get. We’re safe over here, can’t jump, you see. And don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”
Seremend nodded. “What’s happened to him?”
“He’ll be better, need to give him time. Highly territorial, and what with scarce resources… You can see why we all decided to strand him.”
“We?”
The green creature motioned around them. “A group decision. Didn’t even need to involve the Masses. I can’t leave him. It’s only us, in the entire Outer Layer, I’m sure of it, and–”
“She’s mine!” the sequestered creature shouted from behind them.
“Quiet!” the reasonable creature shouted back. “Anyway, you’re clearly new here. How can I help?”
“We’re going there.” Seremend pointed to the obelisk.
“Of course. But… to try to enter the hatch-point? You two don’t look the same… excuse me for my ignorance, but the chances are much higher with more of the same, I’ve heard.” The creature gestured between them. “Besides… I’m starting to think we should try our luck in another settlement. Types of species this hatch-point seems to accept aren’t quite like us. Taller, usually. And all jumpers, I’ve noticed.”
“Let me out and we can try again!”
“Stop it!” The creature swatted a hand in irritation. “He’s like this a lot. The Masses’ll probably force us to leave anyway.”
“Everything moves, here,” Seremend said. “And you’re right, we’re not the same species. We’re companions. It’s just information we want.”
The green creature shook her head. “Information. Another reason to leave here. The Masses can’t help us, despite their knowledge – we don’t even know what to ask. How can you understand how to enter a hatch-point without even knowing where you’re going wrong? There are industries dedicated to advising on the correct questions in other–”
“Don’t,” Seremend said sharply.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t trust them – industries dedicated to hatch-point advice.”
“Why not?”
“They’d have passed through long ago if their advice worked, wouldn’t they?”