by A I Zlato
The next day, when he woke up, he would keep in mind that dream and its instruction regarding the manuscript. Then he would study it in parallel to the investigation. It was important that he continued to follow Baley to keep the notion of urgency alive in his mind, and, therefore, to keep on dreaming of the future. 5th Hexa had literally rushed him on to the manuscript, because the kandron knew the document’s significance. The Spirit of the Multitude knew the author and more importantly, the document’s contents. Paul would find in it a different perspective on the Elders’ dream. He would have all the keys to understand, and then act.
It was a good thing that this document reappeared now, but that did not stop 5th Hexa from asking why. Given its contents, the Elders had definitely decided not to take it with them. The document reflected a marginal point of view that did not fit the Elders’ vision. The fact that its author could take it all the way to this space was already a feat in itself. Every object, especially books, had undergone a thorough review and validation process. Nothing could have travelled through time without receiving the seal of approval from the appropriate teams.
As the document obviously had not secured the seal of approval, someone must have hidden it one way or another in the stockpile of hazardous materials. How he or she could have done it would probably remain a mystery... but 5th Hexa could see why. The author had an important message to convey, and he had done everything possible to transfer the document. Manuscripts considered subversive were under the tutelage of the Machine, which was the sole judge of their future use. What could be its motive for releasing this document — and why now?
Knowing the Machine’s motives could be critical. It had to think about it, and talk to the S. of M. This might relate to what it had perceived in Paul’s dream — causes and consequences, diagrams nestled within larger projects and always its obsession with the past.
Still lying on the floor, the kandron breathed the smell of the night and took advantage of the contact with the ground, which had a smoothening effect. It felt the tickle of grass on its belly. It focused on the slow movement of its chest, air circulation in its body and the energy emanating from the ground.
It became aware of what was going on inside its system. The pearl of awareness of the Spirit of the Multitude resonated in its head. Its community was there, it never was alone, but that would not bring solace to the animal either. Crossroads... the future that was locking up... the end of everything... the ultimate connection... and this manuscript... The odds sprang through its brain, under its closed eyelids. Always centered on its breath, it tried to channel its ideas, to step back, but it could not. Images from its past haunted the kandron again. The rhythm of Earth could do nothing for it.
It had seen the end; it had seen it.
It recalled again the last days of Space H. It had experienced them twice — first, terrorized, while seeing its soul facing imminent annihilation, and then appalled, when it emerged from nothingness in reverse linearity. Those memories kept coming back endlessly. It saw himself getting out of danger without being able to act directly on anything. Prisoner of the space, and going back in time, it had no power over the course of events in its past — which was the future for all the other living beings. Only indirect actions were within its reach... to be Paul’s catalyst among others. Would that be enough?
This question haunted it, as memories continued to flow. It remembered blurry images, the same places, which should have been in different times, but piled one on top of the other. Chaos... Then what had been merged into nothingness taking back its place, its space, within the time that was the right one. Catastrophes followed dramas; the world was dying. Over the following days, spaces had become distinct again, but the separation line was so thin that one could see through.
It was a strange feeling seeing two spaces evolve in an area dedicated to a single space. A translucent veil delineated one reality from another, and was poised to tear, which happened sometimes. Then the veil thickened, and Interspaces had appeared, separating spaces in time. Space H. had become steady a few weeks after emerging from nothingness.
This could not happen again. Unless... Yes, there was one exception. In the past it wanted to avoid at all costs, it cherished a memory above all. This past... it was also the era of the first element of the Hexagon, which took the name Albana in the human world. After coming out of nothingness, when kandrons had been decimated, Albana had taken the first place in the Hexagon, followed by Edgard, thus completing the structure. The energy in the Spirit of the Multitude could then flow freely.
Upon entering the Hexagon, Edgard had discovered its siblings, which welcomed it as if it had always been present among them. More importantly, it met Albana. 1st Hexa was stunningly beautiful; its eyes seemed to encompass the whole world. While flying, its wings seemed to cling to a physical strength steeped in sweetness, caressing the clouds. The golden hues of its skin, its slender claws, its long neck... the creature was sublime.
During the few days they had spent together, Albana and Edgard had formed a perfect couple, a pair within the Hexagon. The Spirit of the Multitude could no longer distinguish them, as their bond was so strong. Well beyond what humans could call love, they had merged their minds as much as their bodies. They had jointly crossed that space, of which they were not quite part. They flew over mountain chains, valleys and plains; over the vast continent made up of emerging territories.
They swam side by side in the ocean, letting the current carry them from one pole to the other. 5th Hexa, immersed in its recollections, felt like breathing 1st Hexa’s sweet smell. Edgard felt the caress of the other kandron’s breath, its legs featuring retracted claws lying on the kandron. Its desire for Albana was so strong. Life had offered itself to them, and they both seized it with their sharpened claws. That happened so long in the past... The memory of this communion was still very vivid. Albana and Edgard knew nothing could separate them except death.
The only thing was they had not imagined that this end would come so quickly. At least, Edgard had not thought so. Even if Albana had survived nothingness, the final separation of spaces, the inability to travel among them and the emergence of Gateways had annihilated the other kandron. What all kandrons considered an improvement was a nightmare for Albana, which ultimately undid the creature. Maybe it had seen something that eluded the rest of the kandron community... and so Albana decided to let go and die. That was a cold decision, carefully pondered, as if it no longer cared about life.
Facing Albana’s determination and considering its own infinite sadness, Edgard had not tried to fight. It simply wanted to know the motive, but the words Albana had uttered had no meaning for 5th Hexa. The kandron beauty said, in a whisper, “The shadow of a space that does not exist will destroy everything... the Equilibrium is the beginning and the end... the constancy of the circle is a non-evolution...”
Edgard yelled out of helplessness and incomprehension, but it had not tried anything. There was nothing it could have done to make Albana change its mind — and Edgard knew infinitely what type of other kandron its partner was. Moreover, Albana’s stature in the Hexagon had given it the necessary psychic power to convince Edgard not to act. 1st Hexa greeted its partner one last time, and then slipped into an endless sleep.
By its will alone, it had stopped the beating of its heart, blocking the essence of its life. The Hexagon had broken, and the Spirit of the Multitude mourned Albana... but the Spirit had also not attempted to stop it from committing suicide. Albana was now gone and a huge vacuum, steeped in pain, had replaced the kandron beauty.
Notwithstanding this painful ending, such a memory was precious for Edgard. It wanted to prevent that past of nothingness and chaos, but not what it had shared with its partner. It could not bring itself to draw a concluding line on their joint story. Yet it knew that changing the course of time — altering the realm of possibilities — was not only possible on certain criteria. Everything was connected... If he managed to prevent the end
of Space H., Albana... Edgard could not tell.
Perhaps in this new version of the future, its partner would not exist, or rather, would exist but would not have an interest in it. Edgard imagined a future where its memories would be more than images steeped into its flesh. It would remain a reality for the kandron, a sublime and wonderful realness, which awakened every time to the Earth’s tune — and which Edgard heard, or thought it heard, when it was lying on the ground. It had made a choice a long time in the past.
5th Hexa straightened up. Vibrations, the energy released by the earth anchored the kandron both in reality and in its most cherished memories. Albana... its memory was present in the S. of M. Edgard could have visualized their story as its partner had lived it. The kandron could have visualized Albana’s past as well as the suffering that had made it leave this world, but Edgard refused to do so. It thought that it respected the kandron beauty too much to penetrate its mind. Maybe Edgard was afraid to discover the real reasons for its partner’s departure.
The reasons Albana had never talked about. Why had the stabilization of the spaces devastated the kandron beauty? Certainly, kandrons were not authorized to move from one space to the other, which reduced their freedom... but the buttressing of Interspaces, the emergence of Gateways, that was the very life of multiple spaces... What had Albana seen and felt? There was so much mystery in the kandron beauty’s lasts words.
Edgard sighed and returned to its concerns. It could not afford to wander that way while the urgency of the situation required immediate action. At the last general meeting, each kandron had left with a specific task, and Edgard’s was to guide Paul to find his true destiny. It had started its mission by instructing him to study the manuscript, but it was not enough. To act best and fast, it focused on the source of knowledge; on the Spirit. There was no upcoming meeting, but the connection to this infinite would help the kandron. The spiral of time... the evolution of the cosmos... the birth of a star... the realm of possibilities... points without surface... lines of one dimension... the plane, then the volume... the kandron’s spirit expanded into other realms.
It decided to contact Faress, another kandron in the Hexagon. The latter structure had given itself the role of pairing kandrons with humans. Faress thus had a binomial called Angela, and it certainly would have some ideas about how to bring Paul quickly in the right direction. Faress was the sixth element of the Hexagon, after Edgard, Danael, Caspar and Beryle. It had joined the structure at the same time as Edgard did, just after nothingness. Faress, in particular, had supported Edgard after Albana’s death.
When the Hexagon welcomed a new 1st Hexa, Faress had helped Edgard cope with the pain emerging from the relationship with that live spirit, which was replacing its beloved kandron beauty. Thanks to Faress, Edgard could regain a taste for life, and had launched the project of saving spaces. Although it had done nothing for its partner, it was going to do everything to improve this world, and who knows, to revert to a normal linearity... and the love of a lifetime. All this could occur, thanks to Faress. The latter was Edgard’s twin and best friend, and it knew it could count on Faress. It then called its friend.
Faress picked up the call and connected its mind to Edgard’s. The latter asked for advice. Faress replied that Edgard had the right approach, and that Paul would eventually understand, but he had to follow his own path. Humans hated being told what to do and above all, how to do it.
“You are the catalyst of Paul’s thought,” Faress said, “nothing else. You cannot replace his thinking process.”
“Don’t you try sometimes with Angela?”
“Sometimes... when I have explored other options, but it is useless. She is so... human. As an archaeologist, she theorizes on each discovery. In other words, she always tries to twist a particular case into a general rule. Whenever I tried to show her the shortcomings of her approach, she was stubborn. If I let go, she finds out about her stupidity on her own, and that goes faster.”
“Yes, but...”
“I know you count on Paul to save spaces, but just keep in mind that is not everyone’s wish.”
“Some do not believe in humans’ abilities; many believe that Paul is unable to alter the beginning, I know that.”
“The problem is elsewhere, and you know it very well.”
“What can we do?”
“Why should we do something?”
“We are part of this space; we have a responsibility to it.”
“What you are saying has no value for me.”
“You don’t want to save this space?”
“I want to avoid this past.”
“It means the same thing.”
“Only from your vantage point.”
“Am I alone?”
“Yes.”
“I will achieve it, even without all of you. The other plans are less good.”
“According to you, and you alone.”
5th Hexa seemed sure of its position, but it became aware of its isolation even within the Spirit of the Multitude. It knew the doubts that the Spirit had on Paul’s abilities, but it had not realized that its peers did not consider themselves as part of the spaces... For them, the survival of kandrons could occur without the spaces. For Edgard, that was unthinkable. It went on with the conversation.
“Paul is able, I’m sure. He perceives the time, although he is not yet aware of that.”
“Maybe he could; that’s not enough. You are forgetting Space E.”
“No. I know that a gateway must alter that space. It is a necessary condition.”
“So what is the connection with your human? You can see he has no power!”
“The connection will exist, and you know it.”
“I know you are dreaming, and that is all.”
“Reality is nothing but the sum of everyone’s dream... The imaginary of the majority.”
“So what? You are the only one believing that!”
“For now. Only a few people or entities are needed to create the necessary network.”
“What is the thread? And what do you do with space?”
“It is time... and gravity.”
“Is that what you think of? It is just... impossible.”
“The probabilities are indeed low, but the impossible doesn’t exist.”
“Logic cannot provide answers to everything.”
“6th Hexa, would you help me?”
“I don’t believe in this.”
“That’s not what I’m asking you?”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Help me influence a gateway so it can alter Space E... so my plot can succeed.”
“That’s not what the Spirit agreed on during the last...”
“Will you help me?”
“I still don’t believe in this.”
“That’s still not what I’m asking you.”
“That is, however, the answer I want to give you.”
“Will you help me?”
“Don’t you already know the answer?”
“Thank you, my sibling.”
It anchored itself more deeply in the brain of Faress, which, in turn, did the same. They removed the Spirit of the Multitude at the edge of their respective brains to form one single brain. Faress had agreed to help... but other kandrons did not need to know. For the first time in its life, 5th Hexa delicately pushed the pearl of consciousness that connected it to the Spirit. It isolated the Spirit, cutting off the mental bridges that linked it to the S. of M. It felt like it was committing a serious act, a crime to which it would have to answer.
It felt Faress doing the same thing on its side. The crime was necessary... the Spirit should ignore what they were about to do. Edgard knew, and Faress had hammered home the point, that its plan would work only if Paul could alter the beginning... and if a gateway altered Space E. Both components were essential.
Edgard would focus on Paul alone. For the Gateway, they needed to be at least two. The two elements of the Hexagon, once
bound, would have the energy necessary to instill in one of these creatures the desire to contact kandrons.
Together, they coalesced and engineered their joint commitment. Then they visualized Space H. as a whole — as a time bubble, so fragile. Beyond, the Interspace barrier, which they could not cross, stretched, both infinite and finite. Their mental energy merged, and made the limit oscillate, triggering an unconscious thought in a gateway’s brain. It would soon want to talk to them, and Edgard would show up... and guide the Gateway in the right direction.
Edgard thanked Faress by thought. Its twin was once again there to help. They parted consciences and restored their connection to the Spirit of the Multitude without transmitting their memories. In the Spirit’s archives, a tiny hole just arose... Edgard knew that someone would notice that one day. Until then, their initiative would be secret.
Alone again, 5th Hexa stood up. Correlation... past and future... reverse linearity... and nothingness... Avoid all this at all costs.
The myth of the Link and the Break is older than is often believed. The Elders took it with them. Humans living in some spaces had kept the myth in memory; others had transformed it, while others had forgotten it. They thus, without knowing it, had sealed their fate.
Recollections from Chaacetime
CHAPTER 15
SPACE H. (1ST CIRCLE)
Baley was waiting impatiently for Paul. She had contacted him so they could go together to interview parents of the children who had recently committed suicide. He finally arrived, and was pale and agitated.
“What happened?”
“Nothing, I... the rail... I’d never used it. Edgard could not take me here, so...”
Baley raised her eyebrows and wondered how an adult person living in the city could never have used this means of transportation. This must have been a traumatic experience for him. She tried to be vaguely sympathetic, and then explained briefly that focusing on the criterion of physical similarities would lead the investigation nowhere. When he tried to learn more, she evaded the question, as she had no other answer to provide. The Machine had instructed her not to worry about that topic, and she would do just that. There was no discussion on that point.