by James Murdo
“But how?” Tolren asked.
Go into the light.
Seremend and Tolren looked out of the large window next to them. Another group vanished in an instant.
You’ll notice that most of the groups entering the flashes are of the same species. Like finds like, and the Construct draws them onwards. The end of all paths lies before you.
Tolren looked at Ciqalo nervously. “Where will it take us?”
The greatest mystery left.
“But you suspect, don’t you?” Seremend said. “You always suspect.”
Ciqalo moved a little, causing Tolren and Seremend to exchange a glance between them. From behind them, a sliding sound caught their attention. They turned around, and Tolren rushed in front of Seremend, protectively.
There is no reason to fear. I told you, like finds like.
“Tracker’s a monster!”
It understands its nature now. You are connected – we all are. Even Tracker. All of us.
“What have you done, Ciqalo?” Tolren asked, through gritted teeth.
Don’t be afraid. I am different, now. Before, I did not understand my purpose.
Tracker’s communication was different to Ciqalo’s. It was less fluid, more hesitant and uncertain.
Seremend looked accusatorily at Ciqalo. “Why is it here?”
It is as much a part of your journey, as you are of its.
“What do you mean?” Tolren asked, angrily.
It came here with you, Tolren. It is a product of the Roranian civilisation. I believe it may be the missing piece you need. You see, I cannot be sure where you will return to, or when, should you leave here, but Tracker is connected with you, and to its maker. It was created as a connection between yourself and Quesimone. There is a possibility that certain conservation principles will apply, and it could anchor you if you leave together.
“Anchor us?” Seremend asked. “To what?”
“Home,” Tolren almost whispered. “You mean we can return to Roranian territory through the red flashes, don’t you? That’s what you mean when you say the drive onwards, through the Construct, will free us from it?”
It’s possible. An anchor through time and space.
“What will we do with Tracker?” Tolren asked.
I will help you stop Quesimone. It is my choice.
They turned to Ciqalo. “Are you sure we can trust it?” Tolren asked.
It has free will, and its confusion is gone.
“And it’s an anchor,” Tolren said, less disapprovingly than before. He looked at Seremend and sighed. “We may have no choice.”
She was frowning. “Anchor… Tolren!” she half-screamed, excitedly taking off and rummaging through her pack. She retrieved the flybo. “Look!”
Tolren smiled, confused. “Yes, still safe – thank you.”
“No!” she looked between him and Ciqalo as though waiting for them to understand. “Ciqalo, you believe things can anchor us to a place in space and time. When Tolren was a child, he said his flybo was the only one – yet–”
“Yet,” Tolren interrupted, taking a step back and staring at the flybo. “It began to behave… defectively, as though another was near.”
Seremend stepped towards Tolren and handed him the flybo. He took it with two shaky hands. “What if it was never defective?”
Tolren looked up. “If we can go back. Maybe we can change…” His eyes glazed over.
Excusing various paradoxes, if I understand correctly, you–
“We have a chance,” Seremend finished. She stared at Tolren. “We have a chance to save your family. You always said you never got to see either of your sisters’ bodies, and that your parents just disappeared. Maybe that’s because you were able to save them.”
Tolren’s eyes flashed wide and unfocused. “I remember… it was a long time ago, but there were other melds too that cropped up at the same time as Quesimone’s Quest-Meld. Some seemed to… aggressively compete with hers. There… there was one called the Inner-Meld, I think. Maybe that’s us!”
A polite cough from behind caused Seremend and Tolren to turn around. A familiar face was smiling at them.
“I’d also like to join you.”
“Memories of Hope!” Seremend exclaimed.
“Hello again.”
This is 421<0>!001011, my most able c-autom.
“I’m sticking with Memories of Hope now,” the copy said to them, chuckling.
Tolren still looked dazed. “We’re glad to see you again,” Seremend said.
Memories of Hope smiled warmly. “I used to think all machine-lects died here, but I was wrong.” She chuckled. “I’m quite happy to be wrong.”
Tolren looked at Ciqalo. “But you’re not coming with us, are you?” he asked, more seriously.
Memories of Hope will help you. There is more for me to explore here, with the rest of my c-autom crew. I still hope to find something to use in the threat against the sensespace. Besides, Memories of Hope’s accompaniment isn’t entirely altruistic.
“We’re not sure about what information can leave the Construct,” Memories of Hope said, shooting an almost guilty glance at Ciqalo. “But we have to try. If we return to your time, long before the dawn of the Wanderer civilisation, I may be able to warn the galaxy about the sensespace threat before the war even starts.”
We must try.
Seremend nodded. “We’ll go together, then.”
“You really think there’s a chance we’ll return before?” Tolren asked Ciqalo quietly.
As Seremend said, there is a chance.
“Well then.” He grabbed Seremend’s hand and spoke in a sturdier voice, “Let’s go.”
If you enjoyed reading Long Paradise, please leave a review or connect with me through my website – www.jamesmurdo.com.
AVAILABLE BOOKS
By James Murdo
Wanderers series:
Gil’s World (Book 1) (sample at end)
Searching the Void (Book 2)
Infinite Eyes (Book 3)
Also in the Wanderer Universe:
Fractured Carapace
Long Paradise
www.jamesmurdo.com
GLOSSARY AND CHARACTERS
1!1 – Trove item obtained by Ciqalo, a craft-lect from the Wanderer civilisation, from the ruins of a near-so-as-to-be-indistinguishable-from-AB (Ascended Biological) civilisation. The item appears to track and record anomalies that have gone unnoticed by the galactic community, as well as the sensespace (a parasitic enemy that has infected the galaxy).
339<0>!110001 (‘339’) – Medium-level c-autom crew member of Ciqalo’s ship, tasked with overseeing external communication channel requests.
421<0>!001011 (‘421’) – Highest-level c-autom crew member of Ciqalo’s ship, tasked with observing and analysing item 1!1.
555<0>!110010 (‘555’) – C-autom crew member of Ciqalo’s ship, engaged in activities related to the ship’s concealment fields.
AB level – Empire, civilisation, race, species or any other grouping of sentients that has reached the point of technological advancement comparable with that of the ABs. The term can also be used to describe specific technologies that are comparable in advancement to those used by ABs.
Alexis technology (‘Alexis tech’) – Food ingestion technology developed and distributed to Roranians by the Alexis-Meld. Involves implantation of an Alexis-ring (‘ring’) directly into a Roranian’s stomach, which is visible upon and accessible through the abdomen. An Alexis-night station (‘night station’) is an external ground unit loaded with nutrient packs. A feeding tube extends from the night station to the ring, pumping the contents of the packs through, usually while the connected Roranian is asleep. The night station also provides general health and nutritional monitoring. Alexis technology simplifies the process of food consumption, releasing time for other activities during waking hours.
Alexis-Meld – A powerful, family-run Roranian organisation whose primary revenue is derived fr
om the distribution of Alexis technology to the Roranian people.
Alexis-night station – See ‘Alexis technology’.
Alexis-Ring – See ‘Alexis technology’.
Alliance – Union of twenty-nine races, founded by the Foist.
Alliance ship – Space vessel attributed to a member of the Alliance (founded by the Foist).
Apalu – Wanderer craft-lect and sibling of Ciqalo.
Ascended Biologicals (‘ABs’) – Most advanced known civilisations in the galaxy. They had been thought to be all-powerful, until they chose suicide in the face of the sensespace threat. A defining aspect of the ABs was that they were unable to be fully understood by the less advanced, wider galactic community.
Beatrict – Leader of the Alexis-Meld, along with her husband, Gerstial.
Beatrict II (‘Trict’) – Daughter and co-heir of Beatrict and Gerstial, leaders of the Alexis-Meld.
Berth – Storage of c-autom on a Wanderer ship, similar to stasis of a biological sentient, whereby c-autom is rendered dormant.
Better than Two – Machine-lect copy with three legs.
Biological sentient (‘biological’) – Non-exotic living entity that has naturally evolved, or would have been able to, and that also possesses an intellect.
Bloom – Wanderer propulsion method powered by vacuum energy.
Body-frond – Sensory protrusion extending from a Quillian’s body.
Bouncer – Machine-lect copy capable of powerful leaps.
Boundary – Separation of different ‘territories’, in the context of the Outer Layer.
Bundoseln – Settlement within the Outer Layer.
Cabin-ship – Main cabin compartment when it is detached from the rest of the construct.
Capacity – Amount of concentration available to each Wanderer machine-lect, which can be divided and allocated between tasks.
Casing – Hard, transparent outer cover, in the context of a ‘module’.
C-autom – Machine-lect crew member of a Wanderer ship, created by the commanding craft-lect.
Ciqalo – Wanderer craft-lect and sibling of Apalu.
Cognitive Venture – Secretive Alexis-Meld project overseen by Quesimone.
Compression unit – Efficient waste collection system.
Connection of Choice – Machine-lect copy with connection ports located on his body.
Connection sphere – Roranian device allowing for connections to various types of Alliance technologies through holo-overlay interfaces.
Copy – Machine-lect based on the Original (a biological sentient).
Craft-lect – Type of Wanderer machine-lect that is typically tasked with detecting and destroying incidences of sensespace infection within the galaxy.
Craft-lect-like activities – Detection and elimination of incidences of sensespace infection within the galaxy.
Craftnet – Ship-wide network on a Wanderer craft-lect’s ship. It is available to be used for ship-wide communications by c-automs.
Cull – C-automs are typically culled and re-created by their commanding craft-lects in order to improve the operational efficiency of the ship.
Cullen Segment – Region of the galaxy.
Cyber-shells – Natural structures within an Outer Layer territory that drain energy from those who seek refuge within them.
Data exchange network – Wanderer civilisation’s information network, spread across the galaxy. Often referred to as ‘the data exchange’.
Data exchange portal – Individual portal within the Wanderer data exchange network. Often referred to simply as ‘a data exchange’ or ‘portal’.
Databanks – Wanderer memory technology.
Databanks nodes – Dense nodes that comprise the bulk of a Wanderer machine-lect’s data storage (‘databanks’). They function by exploiting a quantum loophole that allows for certain discrete signals to be locally phase-shifted back onto themselves in time.
Data-lect – Higher Wanderer machine-lect in control of a data exchange portal.
Dendrium – Lethal weapon used in the Outer Layer.
Doc-room – Roranian medical centre.
Drone – Automated instruments that are typically non-sentient.
Electro-clamp – Roranian technology for fastening and securing objects.
Embargoed systems – Roranian star systems that have rejected Roranian governance.
Enclave – See ‘Wanderer Enclave’.
Enclave-lect – Machine-lect member of the Wanderer Enclave.
Energy-based life – Little understood, extremely rare and highly differentiated to typical matter-based life.
Estem-p – Galactic civilisation that disappeared long before the Wanderer civilisation was formed.
Ferwenth – Settlement within the Outer Layer.
Flairfold – Roranian sleeping furniture.
Flask – Container of fuel for the machine-lect copies of the Original.
Flybo – Expensive Roranian toy that is thrown between opposing parties. It has various modes of operation that allow it to propel itself around during games.
Foist – Founding member of the Alliance.
Foist-Major – Main language spoken by the Foist.
Food dispenser (‘dispenser’) – Device which uses raw, edible inputs to create food varieties.
Food packet – Contains food from a dispenser.
Fronds – Quillian sensory apparatus. May refer to those of individual Quillians themselves, or those attached to their ships.
Frond-sensor – Sensory protrusion extending from a Quillian ship.
Galactic community – Encompasses known spacefaring civilisations who exchange information between each other. Also used to group together all sub-AB sentients.
Galphranx – Creature with unknown origins. It has a white, cylindrical body, with thin, light-blue circles spaced at regular intervals – about an arm’s width apart – down its mass. The cylindrical body has a circumference of radius comparable to an adult Roranian’s outstretched arms.
Gerstial – Leader of the Alexis-Meld, along with his wife, Beatrict.
Gerstial II (‘Gerst’) – Son and co-heir of Beatrict and Gerstial, leaders of the Alexis-Meld.
Glintshard – Hard, sharp object made from glintsparse.
Glintsparse – Transparent material.
Golandric-standard – Language spoken in at least one settlement within the Outer Layer, at a particular time period.
Great War – Three hundred million years ago, following its discovery by the Balroons, the sensespace attacked the galactic community. It exerted an active control over those it had infected to carry out destruction. The war is still ongoing.
Grey-triamond – Extremely durable and versatile material, derived from pure triamond.
Grondern – Settlement within the Outer Layer.
Hastina – Wanderer data-lect in command of a data portal. Tasked with the ultra-secure oversight of certain Enclave-sanctioned projects.
Hatch – Separation mechanism between different compartments of the structure that Tolren and Seremend find themselves in.
Hatch-point – Portal that links the Spires to the Outer Layer, and is presumed to link the Outer Layer to the Inner Layer. Similar to a ‘hatch’.
Higher-level c-autom – C-autom crew member within a Wanderer craft-lect’s ship with greater-than-average intelligence.
Holo – Umbrella term for different types of holographic technologies used by many species and civilisations, including the Roranians. Often used as a prefix to specify a certain use of holographic technology.
Hover-gaming – Roranian leisure activities requiring hover-plating.
Hover-plating – Roranian technology allowing for relatively safe, low-grade magnetic suspension of certain materials.
Incongruency detection – Quillian ability, where large volumes of ambient information are collected and analysed to detect anomalies.
Inner Layer – Region within the Construct that is accessed following the
Spires.
Inner-Meld – New Roranian meld that appeared at the same time as, and competed with, the Quest-Meld.
Konti – Non-family member of the Alexis-Meld who oversees the inner Roranian territories.
Large settlement – Type of settlement within the Outer Layer.
Lect – Living entity that possesses an intellect and is therefore sentient. Usually an affix to a machine intelligence.
Light of Morning – Machine-lect copy with luminescent abilities.
Lillea – Roranian homeworld.
Lower-level c-autom – C-autom crew member within a Wanderer craft-lect’s ship with lower-than-average intelligence.
Lujmin – Species known within the Outer Layer.
Machine-lect – Machine-based intelligence.
Main cabin – Cabin-ship that originally took Seremend and Tolren to the structure.
Matter-based life – Most common form of life found throughout the galaxy.
Meandrith – Large city settlement within the Outer Layer.
Medium-level c-autom – C-autom crew member within a Wanderer craft-lect’s ship with average intelligence.
Meld – Organisations that dominate the Roranian economic and social landscape.
Membrane-swappers – Sentient type of life.
Memories of Hope – Only known female machine-lect copy.
Mirror-nodule – Condensed object containing copies of all sentients aboard a Wanderer craft-lect’s ship.
Modules – Units that allow for transfer between spires.
Multi-parted sentients – Sentient type of life.
Near-AB level (‘Near-AB’) – Empire, civilisation, race, species, or any other grouping of sentients, that has technologically advanced to a point nearly comparable with that of the ABs, although still recognisably inferior by the galactic community. The term can also be used to describe specific technologies.
Neregin – Non-family member of the Alexis-Meld who oversees strategic matters including the embargoed Roranian systems.
Neu-cannon – Prototype weapon for Roranian soldiers developed by the Quest-Meld.
Neu-rifle – Hand-held weapon for Roranian soldiers.