Psychonautz

by Gentry Race

  There were seven golden highlighted areas that were segregated from one another, representing each moon. In front of the lunar exhibit was a podium made from the same green filament that the High Priest had softly touched. Nathan picked up the reaction of the High Priest’s three spines tingling—electrical synapses at their finest.

  “We have been at civil war for the better part of a century now,” the High Priest hissed. “The Acedians were our miners, providing the finest ore from the Acedian moon.”

  Nathan walked up to the Acedia moon exhibit. At first glance, it was patterned in columnar brown and grey rock, capped with a light green, coral-like crust. This was not too different from the patina Switch had mentioned earlier. Nathan raised his hand over the filaments. The small blue sparks snapped again, and he could see an entity within the moon. Similar to the creature that had formed at the Starcadian attack, it slept inside, using its large, rocky, shielding arms like a cocoon to cover its body.

  “Do you see the beast inside? This is the Acedian Æon,” the High Priest said.

  “Yes,” Nathan said, now closing his eyes to get a better look mentally.

  “Each moon has a distinct Æon. Even Drækonia has its own,” he said, pointing to another moon that was polished gold and cratered with patina, housing the crowned beast from earlier.

  “Where do they come from?” Hastings asked, touching the filament.

  The High Priest walked to the center of the room and motioned the gas giant into movement. “The Æons are sub-dimensional beings.” The light that had wrapped around each moon disappeared, and the moons began to orbit the gas giant freely. “The Starcadians, along with Æons, provided us with the power of manifestation. To create by using their Æther. Which moon you are on determines which Æon you can control.”

  “That’s the kernel feed we need access to,” Switch whispered, looking at Tang.

  Nathan knew what he was getting at. He had to convince them to let them sync with their kernel feed or their drained psychonautic brains were gonna go schitzo soon. Nathan turned his attention back to the High Priest, nodding as if he’d been paying attention all along.

  “Why are the moons locked in orbit?” Nathan said, interrupting the tutorial.

  “The Starcadians, creators of the Æther, have helped us lock our moons and establish us as the dominant race of this system, and peace is now with us," the High Priest said. "One can only remember, as it once was, the wars that ensued when every race had access to all the Æons at the same time.”

  “And this was a system wide vote?” Hastings asked.

  “Yes,” the High Priest said. “We asked the Starcadians for help, they are but peaceful farmers of Æther and creators of many great things. We can thank them for relieving the constant wars. Separation has served us well.”

  “You may be segregated, but that ain’t stopping whoever attacked us and the Starcadians,” Tang said.

  “Yes, I am sorry that your home world has suffered. We were once at the mercy of Vorian of the Acedian moon, the leader of the miner's party, but we have cast them from trade with our other moons.”

  “Why attack Oyria?” Hastings asked.

  “Many reasons. You have resources and Acedians now do not. They are leeches and worthless. As a human, you might not understand this, but we Drækonians, birthed from Mintaka herself, lack a particular trait you have,” the High Priest explained.

  “What’s that?” Nathan asked.

  “Forethought.”

  “Forethought?” Switch asked curiously.

  “Yesss, imagination. In exchange for Starcadians to help us lock our moons, we allowed them to take what allowed us to create such horrible manifestations. Remember, imagination is what separates humans from many creatures in the galaxy,” the High Priest explained. “I am sure Vorian is pursuing Terrans, along with any resources, for this reason as well.”

  Nathan couldn’t believe it. Coming full circle, he remembered the bugs from Oyria and how fast they were. Hell, the possibility of reaching a Level Three Æther would be amazing. He couldn’t help but fantasize about the Æon technology and its capabilities. If they could harness that energy, it could be the power they needed to defend mankind for good.

  Nathan looked at the various moons, their Æons, and distinct geography. “High Priest, is it possible to learn how to do this Ætching?”

  “Yesss," the High Priest said. "I will grant you access to our kernel Æther feed, but in return… lend us your help to rid our moons of these… defiers.”

  Nathan looked at Hastings and Vix, nodding in return. He could see the determination on their faces.

  21

  The long table was carved from distinct, columnar basalt rock and stacked together like a pack of cigarettes sliced in half. Each six-sided rock formation was snug and covered in patches of distinct patina green, showing its age. Vorian sat at the end, combing his fingers over the bumpy surface.

  Volup, third in command, walked into the lavish office. He was clothed in the Acedian armor specific to his tribe, and red striations met yellow blotches, indicating his rank. He watched Vorian thumb over the fine filament hair, sparking an electrical signal that stimulated his cortex.

  “We were attacked,” Volup said.

  “What?!” Vorian yelled. The top range of his vocal cords produced a bellow like an ancient reptile. He slammed his fist onto the table.

  “Sir, we were scouted by humans. They possessed some intriguing technology using the Æther,” Volup said, trying not to hunch over too much in his sulking.

  “And you couldn’t stop them?” Vorian asked, standing up and walking to the window that was now blotted with stars and brilliant nebulae. He wore armor made of hard paneled rock that reflected his stature in the military ranks.

  “The Starcadians knew we were there and activated their self-destruct,” Volup continued.

  Vorian shook his head. He knew the chances of the Starcadians blowing their self-destruct were assured if they sensed an attack. It was his fault for sending his second best.

  “Did obtain you obtain the Æther?” Vorian asked.

  “We did, sir. We have enough for the weapon,” Volup reported.

  “We must develop the weapon we received from the Invidian bug on Oyria. This is our only chance to free the moons,” Vorian said. “We need the moons if we want to fight fire with fire. Where are the humans now?”

  “They’re on Drækonia.”

  Vorian exhaled. “This will be close. Send an Invidian bug to find out what they’re doing. If the Drækonians convince them to help, then all we’ve worked for could be for naught.”

  “Yes, sir,” Volup said. “Sir, do you think they’ll learn the Ætching?”

  Vorian smiled. “It would be impossible for a human to have enough mental strength to conjure up our Æons. But if they manage, we’ll be ready and waiting. Prepare my ship. We’re going to Invidia.”

  “Yes, sir,” Volup said.

  22

  The outer gardens of the Drækonian Empire were stunning, to say the least. They were fitted with well-manicured blue lawns and sculpted topiaries, and seven figures carved from local stone represented a different Æon from each of the seven moons.

  Nathan walked with Hastings and Tang to the inverted grounds that sunk just below eye level where he watched the dragon beasts, marveling at their strength. If he could have just a piece of what he’d seen on the Starcadian ship, that would suffice.

  He knew Hastings was on the defensive, feeling the whole situation had been forced somehow, but if they could attack Vorian—the one responsible for the invasion—and learn a valuable new form of defense, then it was a win/win.

  Tang walked up closer to Hastings, catching her glance. He then eyed the golden guard’s spinal columns that met near its lower back, forming a long tail. Inside its hands were claws filled with jelly-like sacks. The nubs on its back bobbed up and down with the movement. “Heya, Yub-Nub, how long is this gonna take?”

  Ha
stings was clearly turned off by the childish comment. “Tell me, guard, how are you able to survive without being able to create and innovate?”

  “All we have has been created by those before us. The Starcadians saw that we could be less… harmful if we lacked forethought. We would not be the dominant race without them.”

  “Yeah, that’s not all they took,” Tang quipped.

  “Come, your friends await,” the guard said.

  Just past a breastwork of golden gates, Nathan saw Vix sitting in the middle of a field. Fery and Beightol watched from what looked like makeshift stands, with Switch opposite, his holobubble in full effect. Now that Switch had full use of the kernel, there would be nothing to stop them from delivering their fateful message.

  A guard opened two doors that were covered in patina-like rust. From the shadows slithered the High Priest and two more Drækonians that had a more humanoid form, with a lower body similar to a velociraptor. Sharp talons rose from their big toes, with one slightly larger than the other. Nathan could tell their rank by the red cape over their left shoulders.

  “Humans, today you learn of the light. These are my Ætchers; they will show you the ways of the Dræk,” said the High Priest as he coiled up onto the center post, crossing his tiny legs and closing his eyes.

  “This light?” Nathan asked, taking a knee. “What is it exactly?”

  "It’s the Level Three Æther," Hastings said excitedly.

  One of the Ætchers stepped forward. “The light is not that different from how your suits work. With an enhanced form of Æther from our kernel feed, we use the collars to sense the tidal forces from our moon around us and then manifest.”

  “Projecting the Æon,” Hastings said.

  “That is correct. Just as photons exist along with matter, your voxels have a light-based form,” the Ætcher explained, also kneeling.

  “Voxel,” Vix signed, adding another word and putting them together. "Light.”

  “How do you call them to you?” Hastings asked.

  “Voxelight,” the Ætcher said. “To call to them, you must be in deep thought, using parts of your mind that are usually reserved for the subconscious. With this part of your mind, you can sense how strong the gravitational forces are and therefore which ones you can use.”

  Nathan knew Hastings had no problem with this type of meditation. Psychonautics was very much a form of this, but Nathan was unsure of his own ability. Tang kneeled but looked impatient, rolling his eyes after everything the Ætcher said.

  “In addition to thought, one must Ætch into space the orbital path of the moon you are trying to conjure,” the Ætcher said, his eyes closed, holding one reptilian hand in the air and carving a circular path with the other.

  Light flowed from his circular hand movement, sparking into reality. The Ætcher’s collar began to grow a brilliant hue and a large beast formed. Nathan recognized this from before as the Æon of Drækonia. His crown of horns, fiery veins, and a large hammer were all represented. Nathan watched the six large arms come around the Ætcher’s neck and under his arms, acting as an extension.

  “This is Dræk. He comes when summoned and brings hubris and the pride of Drækonia,” the Ætcher said, still circling the light with two fingers. “He will do what you ask.”

  The creature grew to the size of a building, picking up his large hammer with two hands and slamming it down next to the ‘nauts. The blue grass was pushed into a large ditch, and the surrounding grass slid with it. Tang now looked impressed, along with Nathan and Hastings. Beightol and Fery cheered from the makeshift stands, and Switch ran a critical analysis of the creature, completing a set of characteristic skills the creature was able to perform.

  “Tell me, Ætcher, do all planets have Æons?” Hastings asked.

  “Not that we know of," the Ætcher said. "The Starcadians helped us see these sub-dimensional beings. It would take great sight to conjure an Æon from a planet.”

  “Do all moons have Æons?” Nathan inquired

  The Ætcher lifted his arms once again and the galaxy appeared above him. With a small movement of his hand, the perspective changed to that of a small solar system that looked like their own. Nathan could identify the familiar planets. Earth was a bright blue marble, shining against an unforgiving blackness. Beside the Earth was its single small moon.

  “Selene is there,” the Ætcher said.

  “It has a name?” Nathan asked. "Tell us more about Earth's moon."

  “Over the millennia,” the Ætcher continued, now encircling one hand over another, rewinding time, “Gaia, or Earth, as you call it now, has had many cataclysmic events.”

  The early Earth was now a deep red of flowing viscous lava with slight patches of crusted rock beginning the cooling process. Nathan noticed that no moon could be seen.

  “Theia was one of these events,” the Ætcher said.

  Nathan could now see an asteroid the size of a planet. Its trajectory was set straight for Earth, yet it seemed to be wobbling on its orbit like a merry-go-round.

  “We know it was the size of Mars and perturbed by Venus’s gravity, and Theia was set on a collision course for Gaia,” the Ætcher said, continuing his narration. As the large asteroid slammed into what looked like the thick, fiery mud of Earth, the Ætcher slowed down the visualization to show the incinerated chunks that were flung into space. “About one-third of Gaia was torn off, and the rest, once gravity settled, formed Selene, or what you call the ‘moon’ today.”

  Nathan wasn’t all that surprised. He’d seen the theories of an object smashing into the Earth to make their only satellite; however, he’d never known the asteroid had a name. He leaned closer, studying the smashed debris now clumping together.

  Nathan’s mind seemed to play tricks on him as he looked closer, seeing in the newly formed moon the faces of the female and male deities that had represented the moon over human history—Selene, Thoth, Isis, Luna. So many different ways humans had tried to explain nature.

  Switch rattled over their comms. “Got it, ’nauts. I’m downloading the skill set of the creature to your suits. This will help when you try to voxelize an Æon.”

  “What about their neck things?” Nathan asked.

  “Easy. I’ve already run a scan on the device, and the change will take place in the next update cycle, which is in three, two, one…”

  Out of his peripheral vision, Nathan saw the back part of his neck collar grow a bit larger and adhere with a thin strip of light.

  “Now that we have the physical capability, let's see if the mental capacity is there,” the Ætcher said.

  Hastings and Vix closed their eyes, each holding one hand in the air and circling with the other. Tang tried to follow but his brows furrowed, as if he found it hard to clear his mind. Nathan knew he would probably be the last one to pick it up, but he tried anyway—and nothing happened.

  “The path isn’t a perfect circle. Drækonia’s moon is elliptical, like most planets. You have to find the right degree,” another Ætcher said.

  Vix lit up with surprise to feel her neck swell with light, and the hubris demon grew up behind her. She stood up and began exercising a series of martial-arts-like kicks. Each movement was trapped in light and connected glorious tracers of kinetic power.

  “Yes, my child, you are strong with your inner mind,” the Ætcher said.

  Nathan shut his eyes tighter, looking for the peace and quiet he’d once known as a child. This task seemed to be harder than voxelizing a weapon, but he knew he could do it. He was a Space Force Marine, and Marines did not fail.

  “I can feel it, too!” Hastings said wildly as the creature swelled up from behind her.

  This broke Nathan’s concentration more, and he opened his eyes. He couldn’t help but notice the distortion his bad eye was giving off, having seen the entities before him. He stopped his movement.

  “Old One-Eye is having performance issues,” Tang quipped.

  Hastings opened her eyes and gave Nathan
a sympathetic look. “Shut up, Tang. At least he’s trying.”

  Nathan felt relief at Hastings telling him off. He looked at Tang, who was standing up.

  “You guys can practice this hocus-pocus shit together,” Tang said, walking off.

  Nathan got up, too, not wanting to cause friction in the team, but Hastings was quick to stop him. “Let him go. He just needs to cool off.”

  Hastings went back to practicing, and Nathan looked up at Beightol, now by himself. He wondered where Fery had gone. A streak of distortion rippled from the corner of his eye, and for a second, he thought it looked familiar—like from his days at home with Richter.

  Tang was heated. He’d never experienced Hastings treating him that way, and now it seemed like she had a thing for old One-Eyed Nathan. Pathetic.

  He walked out of the garden area to the upper walkway that overlooked the large city of Drækonia. Pillars and columns were everywhere, as if Greek architecture had played an influence on the alien world. Not far away, Tang could see workers conjuring their blue demons and hammering down on hard labor.

  “It’s not fair,” Fery said, walking up behind him.

  Tang wasn’t surprised to hear the soft, southern voice. Like a fly on shit, she was eager to pick up any leftovers to satisfy her sickness. He often wondered what the hell she’d gone through as a teen to be so fucked up in the head.

  “I don’t like it here,” Tang said.

  “Me either,” Fery said.

  “You know, you shouldn’t have left us in that pit.”

  “What, me? I was looking for a rope to pull you guys out,” Fery said in a sweet tone.

  Tang knew she was full of bullshit. She would have left them there to die if she hadn’t been caught, but he left those thoughts for the birds. Right then, he was stuck on that rock until his team learned those stupid ways of meditating. If he could tap the kernel feed himself, he would grey-goo that moon, too, if he had the chance.