Tales of the Vuduri: Year Two

by Michael Brachman

  As the story progresses, she comes to discover not only her inner power but the power of love and that the Rei and Rome system had the ability to conquer most anything.

  What she did not realize was that she may not have as much power by herself as she did when they were a couple. It was her plan to go "undercover" and conquer the Overmind of Deucado alone, without Rei. This was totally naive but Rome has always shown the power to intuit things for which she could not explain. We learned at the end of Rome's Evolution that she had to power to travel in time, at least within her mind, both forward and backward. So some of her premonitions and assumptions were just that, premonitions of the future.

  Even though it had no basis in logic, Rome had complete confidence that she could go in and beat down the Overmind. This confidence was actually based on the unrealized knowledge that she had already done so. Regardless, Rome knew that for the plan to succeed, she was going to have to send Rei away. She knew his presence would only interfere with her upcoming battle. She elected not to share this with Rei but this was the motivation for her curious statement. She knew she was going to have to reject him and this was her code phrase for him to know it was not real. It was part of the battle plan for her upcoming war with the Overmind.

 

  Entry 2-319: November 10, 2014

 

  Life-Force Theory

 

  As I near the end of writing The Milk Run, I have stumbled across some interesting ideas that seem to have a common thread. My working title for this idea is 'Life-Force Theory'. The fundamental plot element of the novel is that Heaven is real and Lupe, Aason's sister, is kidnapped and taken there for nefarious reasons.

  Aason's biblical journey takes him to Hades (Hell), the planet Ay'den (Eden) to the space between Heaven and Earth (Limbo), Purgatory and finally Heaven itself. The story postulates that souls are real and they all make their way to Heaven eventually. Some take a detour in Purgatory if they have issues to work out but all eventually go "topside" as they call it. If you simply postulate that souls are real, it explains a whole host of stuff, some of which the characters discuss in the book. Here are some examples:

  - Ghosts: simply souls from above who have found a temporary portal from Purgatory or Heaven and have traveled back to Earth.

  - Near-death experiences: the bright light and loved ones on the other side of the tunnel which is just a portal to Heaven (if the light is golden) or Purgatory (if the light is bright white) and the loved ones are the souls of your predecessors who are waiting for you.

  - The seemingly inexplicable bond between twins than allows one twin to sense when the other is in danger, even if they are half-way around the world. This one is easy. Twins share a soul so they have a channel for communication that kind of bounces off of heaven and back down to Earth again.

  - Out of body experiences: if someone's soul rises above their body, say during surgery, then reenters the body, it may be explainable because it is real.

  - Vampires - this one is silly but vampires would just be bodies without souls. The idea of them sucking blood is just a metaphor for them trying to suck the life-force from their victims so they can restore themselves to wholeness.

  - Soul mates: simply matching souls.

  - Premonitions or even dreams.

  - Possession: another soul enters your body.

  - Séances/Contacting the dead (just other souls).

  - Hearing voices in the head.

  - Reincarnation.

  Oh well. The Milk Run is just a science fiction story but if the Life-Force Theory is true, it sure does explain a lot of superstitious, psychic or otherwise inexplicable things. The grand unification of scary stuff! You can think about it but I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time worrying about it though.

 

  Entry 2-320: November 11, 2014

 

  Wires 2

 

  I hate wires. Look at this picture beneath my desk at my computer:

  I have previously posted an article about the Vuduri and wires but it is time to revisit the concept. In the world of Rome's Revolution, the Vuduri have abolished the concept of wires.

  All communication between instruments is performed using electro-magnetic signals in the exahertz band. Most equipment is self-powered using local Casimir Pumps but memrons, the tiny computing units which couple together to form OMCOM and the like are forbidden from having access to Casimir Pumps. So how do they receive their power?

  I postulated that in the 35th century, the Vuduri have invented a thermocouple-like device which is ultra-efficient. It converts microwave radiation into electricity which then powers the memrons. As such, they are always contained within a mesh-work Faraday cage so that people don't get irradiated.

  Why is this important? Because near the end of The Milk Run, Junior has to come up with a method of tripling the power being fed to his memrons. He can't just up the amount of microwave radiation because the thermocouples are already running at max efficiency. So he comes up with the concept of creating polarized microwaves. He uses circular polarization to make one stream go clockwise and the other go counter-clockwise. It works pretty well until he shuts off the new beams. What happens then? You'll have to wait for the novel to find out.

 

  Entry 2-321: November 12, 2014

 

  Under the palace

 

  A few days ago, I described the Vuduri Palace within their compound on Deucado from the second part of Rome's Revolution. It was very ostentatious because the Vuduri there wanted to impress or maybe depress the locals with its opulence.

  However, the Vuduri themselves do not care about wealth or luxury. We see this as soon as Rome and Rei are escorted one floor down away from the "public" area. Supposedly, this would be a section of the building where the Ibbrassati would never go:

  Two guards came and took up positions in the doorway. Pegus stood up and came around to the other side of the desk and motioned to Rei and Rome to follow him. They were led out of the office and to the left. The guards fell in behind them. Rei and Rome followed Pegus down a hallway that had pastel walls and a regular assortment of small pedestals with busts and statuettes. At the end of the hallway, a doorway opened up but it was not to another room but rather to an elevator.

  Once the five people were inside, the doors closed and there was the tiniest vibration that told Rei they were moving. However, owing to the advanced nature of the Vuduri’s mastery of magnetics and gravity, Rei could not tell if they were going up or down. At last, the door opened again and they were escorted along a long white hallway made of the standard Vuduri aerogel foam. They passed door after door after door until they came to a room that looked like a medical suite. The room was completely white with a table and several racks full of monitoring equipment right next to it. Inside stood two technicians each wearing a standard issue Vuduri white jumpsuit.

  Pretty boring, huh? But then the Vuduri always were across the universe of Rome's Revolution. It took Reinard Beirak to arrive and liven things up.

  Entry 2-322: November 13, 2014

  A flaw can be a strength

  In the beginning of Part 2 of Rome's Revolution, Aason is still in utero when Pegus, the leader of the Vuduri on Deucado, decides to inject Rome with a second pair of the 24th chromosome. The goal is to reconnect her to the Overmind of Deucado ostensibly to save the baby.

  However, we know that both parties, Rome and Pegus, have their own agendas. What no one considered would be what would happen to Aason when he received the extra chromosomes as well. Pegus had already condemned him as something more than mosdurece (half-blood) but less than a full-blooded Vuduri. Here is his analysis:

  “It is just as I suspected,” Pegus said. “The child’s genetic pairs are asymmetrical. It appears that he only has one normal strand of the 24th chromosome instead of two. There is a second piece of the pair. But it is unlike anything we have ever seen before. In addition, several of
his genes have been modified with a protein interlace, a triple helix if you will. I would call it a peptide nucleic acid rather than DNA. I cannot tell what would be its purpose.

  “OMCOM gave me a pill that modified my genetic structure,” Rei said. “It was supposed to fix my back.”

  “Yes, parts of this would make sense,” said Pegus. “But it is the flaw in the 24th chromosome that concerns me. We know the child has a PPT resonance. But his PPT transceivers will only be half-strength. This will allow him to communicate directly, mind-to-mind, as would any Vuduri upon encountering a new samanda. But he would be incapable of ever integrating into the Overmind. This is a shame but not unexpected.”

  “Why would you say that?” Rome asked in breathy tones.

  “Because he is a half-breed,” said Pegus apparently without prejudice. “He is a cross between a 23-chromosome Essessoni and a 24-chromosome Vuduri. No other result could be expected.”

  “So connecting Rome won’t matter,” Rei said, hoping he could stop this operation.

  “On the contrary,” said Pegus smugly. “It is exactly the correct course of action. The only way the baby will be able to understand what is happening is to connect directly with his mother. And the only way he can do that is for us to reactivate Rome’s PPT transceivers. Do you understand?”

  Pegus is correct. Aason will always be able to restrict the influx of gravitic modulation into his brain. To Pegus, this is a flaw. However, in the climax of the entire Rome's Revolution saga, it is this very flaw that allows Aason to remain conscious when all the other Vuduri around him have been rendered senseless by the onrushing Stareater.

  Without this so-called flaw, the Earth and all its inhabitants would have been destroyed. Not too shabby, huh?

 

  Entry 2-323: November 14, 2014

  Super duper hand-waving

  I have previously admitted to a certain amount of hand-waving when it came to making specific parts fit in the world of Rome's Revolution. However, some of the hand-waving is couched deep within the science so that it sounds believable. Consider Pegus' explanation as to how he was going to infuse Rome with a new set of the 24th chromosome:

  “Hold on a sec,” Rei said. “I’m not from around here. What is that?” he asked the technician.

  The man ignored him and continued on. He injected Rome with several ccs of a bright orange liquid.

  “I qua a equala?” Rei said to the man in a louder voice.

  “Ganas,” replied the man in a hoarse whisper. Clearly, speaking was not something he did very often.

  “Genes? Why are you giving her genes?” Rei demanded. “This is genetic therapy?”

  Pegus walked over to them. He pointed to the now-empty syringe.

  “The process is very simple,” Pegus explained. “We give her an infusion of genetic material to regenerate nascent PPT transceivers. The liquid contains transcription-RNA within an artificial virus for delivery directly into the nucleus of her cells. The PPT transceivers will rebuild within her neural tissue. It passes through the blood-brain barrier and delivers this therapy to her brain as well. Once the new transceivers have replaced the disabled ones, we apply a small electrogravitic field to start the resonance and then she will lock into our samanda. It is supposed to be quite painless.”

  Sounds pretty believable for a bunch of baloney, huh?

 

  Entry 2-324: November 15, 2014

 

  The scenes in your head

 

  I think many times movies are made because some writer or director has a vision of a spectacular, seminal moment; a jaw-dropping visual. An entire movie then has to be constructed around that cinematic climax, sometimes with greater or lesser success. My various novels that have led up to the modern version of Rome's Revolution is no different except I had a bunch of cinematic moments that I had to weave into the story.

  One such moment could be called "Rome's Reconnection" because it is the point in the story where Rome is reintegrated with the Overmind of Deucado. Ever since Rome was cast out back on Tabit, I wondered about what it would be like for her to get reconnected having discovered her autonomy. But I wanted it to be more than you are reconnected. The vision in my mind was little bit like Frankenstein, strapped to an operating table, being struck by lightning. Here is that little section. See if it creates a graphic, visual scene in your head. This takes place right after Rome has been strapped down on the table:

  The two technicians walked over to a rack and each removed a rather sizeable copper plate with wires trailing from it. In his entire year with the Vuduri, this was the first time Rei had ever seen a wire. He assumed it was because there was a current or signal that could not be sent wirelessly as was their penchant. The technicians went on either side of Rome and knelt down to plug the dangling wires into a small box that was underneath the table where Rome was lying. They stood up and held the plates about 15 centimeters from her temple, one on each side. With no fanfare, the box began to hum and suddenly, Rome stiffened and shrieked a bloodcurdling yell.

  Rei tried to go toward her but the two guardsmen grabbed him by the shoulders and held him back.

  “Let me go,” Rei insisted. They did not.

  On the table, Rome took a deep breath and then her whole body seemed to relax. The two technicians holding the plates lowered them and set them down on the floor. They loosened her restraints. Rome lay there, not moving at all. One technician removed the cuffs around her arm and leg but left the telemetry sensors in place.

  “Sweetheart?” Rei called out, leaning as far forward as the guards would permit but there was no reaction on Rome’s part. One of the technicians patted her cheek lightly with no response. They removed the restraints altogether and jostled her gently. Rome still showed no reaction. The two technicians turned toward Pegus who nodded slightly.

  Each of the technicians took an elbow and coaxed Rome’s body into an upright position. They remove the adhesive sensors. For a moment, Rome sat straight up but then her head fell forward with her chin resting on her chest. She stayed that way for a long while.

 

  Entry 2-325: November 16, 2014

 

  Goodbye Rome, Part 1

 

  As I have mentioned previously, I wanted Part 2 of Rome's Revolution to have a split narrative structure. Rome was to go on a mental journey while Rei was to go on a physical journey and they'd meet up near the end of this section. In order to do this, it was necessary to break up the couple (sniff, sniff), that is, boy loses girl. To facilitate this split, Rome has to go undercover and pretend to not want to be with Rei anymore. Yesterday, I wrote about the reintegration process itself.

  Once Rome is injected with the artificial genes and reconnected to the Overmind of Deucado, it is now time for her to get Rei out of there so that a) he is not in danger and b) she can do her work which is to say do battle with the Overmind. She had hinted at this just short while before, when she told Rei she would always love him even though it seemed out of context.

  Here is part 1 of how she dismissed him:

  On the table, Rome took a deep breath and then her whole body seemed to relax. The two technicians holding the plates lowered them and set them down on the floor. They loosened her restraints. Rome lay there, not moving at all. One technician removed the cuffs around her arm and leg but left the telemetry sensors in place.

  “Sweetheart?” Rei called out, leaning as far forward as the guards would permit but there was no reaction on Rome’s part. One of the technicians patted her cheek lightly with no response. They removed the restraints altogether and jostled her gently. Rome still showed no reaction. The two technicians turned toward Pegus who nodded slightly.

  Each of the technicians took an elbow and coaxed Rome’s body into an upright position. They remove the adhesive sensors. For a moment, Rome sat straight up but then her head fell forward with her chin resting on her chest. She stayed that way for a long while.

  To
morrow, part 2 of this pivotal scene.

 

  Entry 2-326: November 17, 2014

 

  Goodbye Rome, Part 2

 

  Yesterday, I set up the scene in Part 2 of Rome's Revolution whereby Rome is ready to head off on her inner journey. She had just awakened from the trance or coma or unconsciousness caused by the injection:

  At last, Rome's head twitched then a shiver ran all the way down her body. Finally, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. She looked around the room, her eyes sweeping past Rei’s, appearing to not even notice him. After a moment, she swung her legs back over the side and slid off the table with the one technician steadying her. She straightened up and glanced in the direction where the two guards were holding Rei. Rome shrugged off the technician’s arms and walked over to Rei unassisted. She looked up at him but her face was completely passive. In some ways, it did not even look like Rome.

  “Goodbye, Rei,” she said in a monotone. She turned and started walking toward the door.

  “Goodbye? Romey, wait!” Rei shouted in anguish.

  Rome ignored him and did not stop until she got to the doorway. She turned around and looked right at Pegus.

  “Ni! Fica nei i medere.” she said out loud. Then in English, “You will not kill him. He is still the father of my child. You will return him to the settlement. Now!”

  Pegus bowed his head slightly. “Som, monhe reonhe," he said.

  “What?” Rei said. “What did he just say? What the hell?”

  Yeah, what did he say? He said, "Yes, my queen" in Vuduri. I just threw that in there and never brought it up again. In fact, I never told anybody this before. I only hinted at it way at the end of Part 2 when Rei laughingly refers to Rome as Queen of the Vuduri. My little secret and now yours.