Architecture & Adversity

by Jeremy Dwyer

  Tanith Orenda knew the powers of the ocean waters in great detail. Those who drank the waters of the Gradaken Ocean could only control animals and plants, though that meant that they could manipulate organic matter, including applying plant extracts to develop herbal medicines, and resist organic toxins, such as snake, spider and scorpion venom. In that sense, they had some portion of the power belonging to those who drank the Trerada waters – they could also resist organic toxins, although they could also resist others, such as heavy metal toxins. It was also possible to control animals in other ways: the Zovvin waters gave power over spirits, and human spirits readily dominated those of animals; the Elanatin waters gave powers over emotions, and human willpower exceeded that of animals; and the Pirovalen waters gave the power of song, so that music could manipulate the creatures. Many other overlaps of the ocean powers existed, so that a person could depend on those powers in many situations. When a single power was insufficient, then the cooperation of another person, with a different waterbinding, could provide the needed abilities. Other talents were not developed within a person, throughout most of the world and most of its history, because they depended on the ocean waters for all aspects of life. The results were extraordinary, but it was the ocean water that multiplied the innate potential of the person who drank it to a far greater level. The greatness, in fact, was within each of the ocean waters.

  The problem, of course, was that the outside worlds did not have such dependencies: they did not have these oceans, and so they were compelled to develop their own abilities. They made great advances in their general scientific knowledge and reasoning ability, leading to sophisticated weapons of war, thinking machines, and ships that sailed among the stars. What they did not have – the oceans of this world – led to them discovering and building alternatives through the passage of time, determination and cleverness. The outside worlds struggled and moved forward, whereas the people of this world were elevated by the oceans but personally languished. This assessment, however, was not a condemnation of the waters themselves – they were the dearest of all things to her heart without exception, and she loved them far more than she loved any of her daughters. Rather, it was an ominous warning of great danger: as the outside worlds had already learned to command great knowledge and engineer powerful tools and weapons, they would likely calculate strategies no one here ever considered and wield the powers of this world’s oceans more effectively. This frightened her immensely.

  Standing beside Tanith Orenda was her scribe, Danielle, a fifty-three (53) woman who had no such thoughts – rather, she read those thoughts from the old woman’s mind. The Elanatin waters flowed through Danielle, making her telepathic and empathic, but not philosophical. She did, however, understand the old woman’s thoughts, which were clear and carefully considered. Danielle did not probe further, because she did not need to carry the weight of the world upon her, and this was frightening enough – what else did the old woman know about and fear. She also didn’t discuss it, unless the old woman insisted that it be discussed. Instead, she simply performed her duties, recording the thoughts into the journal that Tanith Orenda commanded her to make.

  Tanith Orenda watched as Danielle recorded these thoughts and said: “Though I am troubled regarding these matters, there is no need for you to be. It is not your place to have great wisdom or to lead. In time, a solution will be found. Leave me, and visit Marthe and Amaltheia, that you might learn of their progress in the experiments.”

  Danielle left the Matriarch’s Room, closing the door behind her as she did so.

  ~~~

  Now that she was alone, Tanith Orenda considered the luminaries which had been returned. These were dangerous to the suns, and also to the entire world, as their flames, when lit, brought darkness upon the suns, enabling her enemies to move about more easily. The notion that these luminaries were supposedly designed to empower the Thalkalana machine to consume the suns and create the ocean in that cavern was suspicious. The nature of that water was in doubt, as no useful power had ever come of it, given that it was found to be a corrosive, luminous liquid that proved toxic to every test subject forced to drink it. If she wanted to poison someone, there were quicker ways. If she wanted illumination, there were more reliable sources, as the luminosity faded quickly, which made her doubt that it was the true source of light in the Thalkalana cavern. She knew that even Marthe wasn’t convinced about the function of that strange liquid.

  Tanith Orenda drank anew of the waters of the Ursegan Ocean from the vial she wore on a chain – made of human finger bones – around her neck. She carried the vial next to the amethyst, which might still prove useful, though it served no purpose at the moment. When the Ursegan waters energized her, she felt the familiar slowing of time throughout her body and mind. This enabled her long years, and her vast memories, which she could access immediately. One of the many techniques she had developed over the millennia was to slow down her recollections to those memories, so that no telepath could read them and be aware of the depth of secret knowledge she possessed. Danielle was reliable enough to be a telepathic scribe for many matters, even ones of great concern – but she could not be allowed to have access to the utmost sensitive matters. Therefore, Tanith Orenda had to guard her ancient knowledge more thoroughly. The true danger was still out there, deep in hiding, and she had no intention of ignoring the matter. The luminaries, as dangerous as they were, might prove an effective weapon, if she could control them.

  ~~~

  Danielle walked through the temple, making her way to the Ocean Room. Therein, she met with Marthe and Amaltheia, who were both refreshing themselves with the waters of the Kazofen Ocean from their vials to become energized. Another woman named Honorine was there, also, but she drank the waters of the Pirovalen Ocean from her vial to become energized. A fourth woman named Katinka was present, and she drank anew of the waters from the Lujladia Ocean from her own vial to become energized.

  “The musical component would seem to be impactful – the results are statistically significant – but I am not convinced that the melody is correct. Either that or the tempo needs to be varied,” Marthe said.

  “I can use a different melody, or a different tempo. Just tell me the waveform you need,” Honorine said.

  “But that melody and tempo are what work to cut the structure of the purification limestones. There are certain cuts we cannot make both reliably – and quickly – if you sing differently. The melody helps to overcome that – it’s fast and thorough,” Amaltheia said.

  “The limestones should never have been used for purification – the original process from the Society of Dead Waters had better yields,” Marthe said.

  “They also had more dangerous energy emissions. I don’t want any more of these scars or bruises. I can’t heal them,” Amaltheia said, pointing to various scars on her cheeks and bruises on her arms.

  “Scientific progress does have its risks and costs. Your eyes were protected by the diamond lenses, however,” Marthe said.

  “My eyes, yes. But not the eyes of the men who would look at me. I can’t let these injuries take away my clear skin and good looks. Men aren’t attracted to disfigured women – they don’t want to touch them,” Amaltheia said.

  “Your carnal needs are not important. You’ve had relations with partners and have an intelligent daughter as a result. What further need do you have for reproductive activities?” Marthe asked. She had no desire at all – she never enjoyed the act, and her own daughter proved to be a disappointment, indulging in meaningless relations with young men and showing no interest in science.

  “Let’s try again. I can keep the music the same but we can try something in a different sequence, or Katinka can provide a different color of light,” Honorine said.

  Marthe looked at her experimental plan book and scanned the matrix of combinations to look for variable combinations yet to be attempted. She then held up a flask containing Dead Waters and said: “Yes, let us move on. Katinka,
please provide illumination to heat these waters with an increase of eight point three seven (8.37) degrees centigrade.”

  Katinka generated light and heat in the direction of the flask that Marthe held. Marthe observed closely to see the changes to the crystal structure of the potion of Dead Waters in the flask – the water crystals were rearranged nearly as much as water crystals could be, and there were limits, because the waters resisted destruction. When Marthe was convinced that the structure was stable, she said: “Enough. The structure has stabilized.”

  Marthe then held up another flask with a limestone in it and said: “Honorine, please provide the melody and tempo as before, for the same duration.”

  Honorine began to sing the familiar song – having no lyrics but a precisely determined sequence of musical notes – and Marthe watched as the sounds altered the limestone’s low-level structure.

  When Honorine had completed the song, Marthe said: “Now, protect your eyes.” At this, Marthe placed the protective diamond lenses over her own eyes and the other women all did the same.

  Marthe then placed the flask with the heated Dead Waters on a table in the center of the room and slowly placed the altered limestone into it. She stepped back twenty-two (22) feet, leaning toward the wall, and the other women followed her example. Moments later, there was a bright flash and the flask containing the heated Dead Waters and altered limestone shattered. Several shards hit Amaltheia on the face and she screamed. The other women were mostly fortunate, receiving fewer cuts.

  Katinka looked at Amaltheia and winced, and Amaltheia saw this.

  “What?!” Amaltheia screamed.

  Marthe followed Katinka’s gaze and saw the injuries, which were extensive.

  “Take her to rest. She may need to recover before our next experiment,” Marthe said.

  Katinka led Amaltheia out of the Ocean room.

  “Some of the fragments hit you. Are you alright?” Honorine asked Marthe.

  Marthe put her hands on her face and brushed off a few pieces of glass. She only saw a few drops of blood and applied pressure to stop the bleeding. “This is minor. You also seem to have avoided any injuries,” Marthe said.

  “Don’t worry about me. I just want to make sure you’re fine. We need you to be well – you understand the waters better than anyone. We couldn’t do these experiments without you,” Honorine said. She admired the older woman immensely, looking to her for guidance, and always seeking to please her. Marthe was the mother she always wanted, and she also looked down upon Marthe’s biological daughter, Felicite, who was driven by lust alone.

  Danielle had guarded herself, knowing when to turn away. She avoided any injury by avoiding direct observation; instead, she telepathically scanned the minds of the other women to see what they saw, and what injuries they felt. It was of no use for her to watch what happened and risk her own wellbeing. Marthe thought nothing of sustaining a few injuries from these experiments, protecting only her eyes from the shards and other strange substances that the experiments often hurled through the room during a reaction. Danielle also knew that Amaltheia wanted to leave – the injuries from the experiments had definitely taken a toll on her once fair looks, and she would likely have difficulties in attracting men as a result. She knew that Amaltheia realized this, and that she was angry that her carnal desires would rarely be satisfied anymore.

  Marthe picked up several of the fragments of the shattered flask off of the floor and examined the substance she found adhering to them – an unfamiliar liquid whose properties might be of interest. She examined the low-level structure of the liquid crystals and recorded these into her laboratory notebook.

  Danielle read Marthe’s thoughts and transcribed the same information into her own book.

  ~~~

  Katinka guided Amaltheia into the Garden Room and sat her down on a bench surrounded by wildflowers, vines and plants.

  “You’re going to be fine. Don’t worry,” Katinka said.

  “Don’t lie to me! That look on your face told me everything. It’s bad. I can’t do this anymore,” Amaltheia said.

  Another woman approached them and Katinka said to her: “Yeva, she needs some medicine to heal the cuts.”

  Yeva was a forty-nine (49) year old woman who looked thirty-one (31). She knew how to extract materials from plants and animals to make both toxins and medicines, keeping her own skin looking youthful with the herbal remedies she made for herself. When she looked at Amaltheia, she felt pity, confident that the woman would be fine, but the scars would likely always be with her, even though they would mostly fade. Yeva drank anew of the Gradaken waters from her vial and was energized. She then looked through the garden – which covered the entire room from wall to wall and from floor-to-ceiling – and identified the appropriate plants. She touched these and coaxed various materials out of them so that she could formulate a healing salve. Yeva then applied this salve to Amaltheia’s face, and thereby stopped the bleeding. The latest scar on Amaltheia’s face lost its bright red shine and became a slight red, because the bleeding had been stopped and the skin rejoined. The scar quickly faded due to the salve’s quick healing properties.

  “There! You look as good as you can. The healing is done. The scar won’t get any smaller than this, though,” Yeva said and wandered away through the garden.

  “That’s all?! That’s as good as it gets?!” Amaltheia asked, holding up a small crystal she kept in her pocket that showed her a reflection where she could see the latest scar.

  “You do look a lot better than a few minutes ago. Trust me, you do,” Katinka said.

  “Will a man think so? You know what they’re like. They can be so vain,” Amaltheia asked.

  “Listen to me: just relax. We keep plenty of men here as slaves – for our experiments, for our heavy lifting and for our every other menial chore. Whenever you feel the desire, we can bring you one of them, and he’ll do whatever you want for your personal pleasure. You don’t need to do anything special, or be anyone special, or look like anyone special. He’ll just obey and you’ll be satisfied – it works for me every time. Don’t worry. It’s not going to be as bad as you think,” Katinka said.

  “I want a man to want me, not to be a slave. He has to actually want me. Marthe’s just going to get me killed with one of these experiments. We’re not even succeeding, so what good is it, anyway? Time is running out, I’m not getting any younger, and this isn’t the life I had in mind. It just isn’t. I have to leave,” Amaltheia said.

  “Your daughter needs you to think about her, not just these men you want to enjoy. What about her? We can help you teach her whatever she needs as she gets older. She’s only two (2) now, but she has a whole lifetime of learning ahead. If she leaves now, she’ll miss out on that,” Katinka said.

  “Then keep her here and teach her. I don’t want to be a mother. I’m not ready to settle down. Life is so much more,” Amaltheia said.

  “How could you say that? I don’t even understand!” Katinka said, surprised and disappointed.

  “Being a mother is too much for me. All the women here are great – you’re like the sisters I never had. I know you’ll take care of her better than I ever could. I need to just be free,” Amaltheia said.

  “She’ll never know you. Her own mother won’t be part of her life. That’s so sad. It breaks my heart,” Katinka said.

  “She’ll grow to love you. The sooner I leave, the better, so she doesn’t get attached to me and make this painful,” Amaltheia said.

  “Please don’t do this. I don’t want to see a girl lose her mother – please just try to love her,” Katinka said.

  “I’m not like that. I have to go,” Amaltheia said.

  ~~~

  Danielle left the Ocean Room and made her way through the temple back to the Matriarch’s Room. Along the way, she telepathically overheard the conversation between Katinka and Amaltheia and knew the woman’s intentions.

  “What is it, Danielle?” Tanith Orenda asked as Da
nielle entered the Matriarch’s Room and closed the door behind her.

  “Amaltheia wants to leave – the experiments are not yet producing the needed successes, and she has sustained facial injuries. She fears for her attractiveness to men, and is not interested using the slave males for pleasure,” Danielle said.

  “What of her daughter? The child is young and rich in potential,” Tanith Orenda asked.

  “She wants nothing to do with the child. She believes that we can take the girl and raise her better, so that she can live freely,” Danielle said.

  “No woman such as that can be of much service to us. Send her away, with no knowledge of our location. Place her on a ship sailing the dark waters, so that she cannot find us without our consent. She may come to regret this act of abandonment, and I do not want her returning without a change in her priorities,” Tanith Orenda said.

  “Amaltheia has gained some knowledge being here and participating in the experiments. I have been probing her thoughts,” Danielle said.

  “Ordinarily, I would kill a disloyal woman rather than allowing her to escape and risk a betrayal of the knowledge she has gained here. However, I believe that she may still be of use in the future, and may even change her ways, given some time to mature. She is childish and selfish, and she may bring on her own ruin because of this. However, if Amaltheia accepts responsibility, she will be able to return and give companionship to her daughter, who will eventually seek her mother out for a relationship. The girl will become distracted from her studies if the need goes unfulfilled. The girl is of great value, so that is why I will let Amaltheia live,” Tanith Orenda said.

  “I will escort her from this temple at once, as you wish,” Danielle said and she left the Matriarch’s Room, closing the door behind her.

  Danielle visited the Garden Room and found Katinka still there with Amaltheia.

  “It is time that you were on your way, Amaltheia,” Danielle said.

  “Yes. It is,” Amaltheia said.

  “You’re not even going to try to convince her to stay? For her daughter?” Katinka asked.