Disconnected (Connected series Book 1)

by N. P. Francis

  That evening Cunac heard his apprentices and acolytes discuss the need to lead the Pacha realms back to the Garden, back to the place of prosperity and plenty and away from austerity and toil. Their insights were enlightening. He was especially interested in his son, Sarenen. He was now almost twenty cycles and about to graduate from being an apprentice to an acolyte. Unlike his father he was lean, although like his father he had a keen mind and bright sharp blue eyes.

  “The history in the neural-net and the teachings we have heard within these our sacred walls tell of a time when all people across DiPacha had the joy of life due to the plenty and bounty of the Garden. Now life for all is hard. People struggle and strive. We have been given the sacred duty to help guide and maintain our fellow Pachans until we have the opportunity to guide them back to the Garden, for the benefit of all and the Glory of the Listeners. For it will be our Garden and we can resume the responsibility of and authority, for the Garden Realm. Our rightful home… According to the legends that is!” he said, grinning wickedly. The main thrust of the speech was delivered with a passionate air, almost extreme in the ferocity and passion. Sarenen had then disarmed his fellows with the little joke but he had left no doubt how he felt about the responsibilities of the Listener Guild.

  6.1Without warning

  Over the next cycle, Illary and her team continued to review the emissions from the Punku in the Quadrant Temple of Millham. All of the emissions were interpreted as best they could manage. Some carrying pictures and sound while some only carried sound. Sometimes the images were in black and white and sometimes in colour, initially this confused Illary and her team as they thought that the realm they were looking at may only exist in black and white.

  There were emissions carrying music or talking and some showing bizarre events. The information was very confusing and with just four of them to interpret what they were seeing or hearing it was hard work. Not all appeared to be of real events, or at least none of the team believed that they could possibly be real. Some could not be from any reality that Illary and her team had ever conceived of.

  It was concluded that the humans, for that is what they looked like in the pictures they were seeing, had developed a completely different set of technologies, languages and histories to that of DiPacha. Yet all this creation had been done without a common language and no babel device.

  The people of the unknown realm were a lot more violent yet had created some beautiful things. The contrast was extraordinary. Their technology was beyond anything that had ever occurred to Illary and her team. Yet they had no neural-net and could not easily communicate with each other or over significant distances. Their home world was fragmented yet appeared fascinated by what they called news from other areas of their realm. It was seductive and yet appeared dangerous. Some technologies seemed to be beyond Illary’s understanding and some seemed so antiquated. How had the humans on this Pacha not discovered implanted communications yet? They were using devices you had to stand next to and talk into. Yet they flew in giant machines and travelled fast across their Pacha Realm in the air. They considered their realm to be a jewel stranded alone in something called space. One thing that had been seen repeatedly on the information coming through the Punku was images of a blue and green ball against a black background. These were said to be the first pictures from space of what they called Earth. So much to learn.

  Half of what they were seeing and hearing seemed not to be real, but how could they be sure what was real? Space couldn’t be, could it? It was fantasy, storytelling, and a parable.

  Legends, myths and parables were part of DiPachan culture passing through the generations or accessed from the neural-net. One of the most famous legends was the discovery of the neural-net itself; it is said that it was discovered by two brothers making sling shots. In a freak accident they had hit each other in the head with pebbles which then lodged in their skulls leaving them able to share memories and thoughts.

  Using small quantities of it implanted between the eye and brain it was possible to then communicate with the neural-net and anyone else with an implant. Quickly it became common for all people over a certain age to have the implant. Soon all DiPachans could store and share information from across the generations and through the realms at will and instantaneously. However, either a natural resource or a small amount was needed as a beacon before it was possible to communicate across great distances or with each other beyond very local limits. Having a stockpile of the rock nearby amplified the signal.

  Some DiPachans, however, believed that liberty and enlightenment lay away from the influence of the neural-net, outside of the collective consciousness that the shared memories provided.

  Late one afternoon Illary was just coming back down into Millham from her family plot where she grew their rice. The irrigation channels had recently been drained and she had been dredging the ditches for the nutrients left behind by the fish. Fish would be her main source of protein over the coming season now they had been harvested from the irrigation channels. She would have to dry the remaining catch later once she had finished her duties in the workshop. As Illary approached the edge of the city she saw one of her researchers, Ella, running to meet her.

  “Illary, Illary. It is WaytaPata. Earth it is, I mean it is Earth. Earth is WaytaPata. We have found Chinkay WaytaPata, the lost Garden Realm.” She paused to gather her thoughts and her breath. “I was reviewing a film where they tell a story called ‘Eden’. It’s about a bountiful garden that the ‘Others’ loose.” The Others was the term Illary and her team had decided to use for the people of the unknown realm.

  “It was taken from them when they discovered a knowledge they shouldn’t have.” At this point Ella's excitement waned and she continued, a little confused. “That bit’s strange, one of them ate a fruit and they discovered clothes.” Excited again she continued, “Anyway, they get kicked out of the Garden. Their history is wrong. They got locked in!”

  “Ella, come with me to the workshop now.”

  Ella turned and began to ragianher breath and composure. Both women and immediately headed back to the workshop. Once inside Illary spoke.

  “Are you sure? If you are then the people of the Garden were given all the gifts it contained. The gift of gifts. They have had the duty and privilege to look after and care for the life-giving bounty it offered. What we’ve seen on some of the information we’ve intercepted is a people who have no clue about the bounty they have. They do not care for it, or for the most part each other. The other day we saw that fireball, what did they call it? Bomb? If my memory is correct it killed more people than I can count. It made me physically sick to see such destruction. How can this be the Garden, the life-giving Garden?” You could hear the anguish in Illary’s voice. From all she had learned viewing the images of the others they were as creative as they were dangerous and destructive. She was thankful that she could not interact with them and more importantly them with her and her world.

  “If what you say is true then they’re breaking it, ruining it, don’t know what they’ve got, how lucky they are! The Garden Realm should be cared for, nurtured, cherished. Show me what you've found!”

  Ella showed Illary the information. Illary charged her with finding as much hard evidence as possible and uploading it to the neural-net, to a private and protected room, so that she could share it with the rest of the Listeners Guild, and only with them. She needed evidence, hard irrefutable evidence if it was true. For the Garden’s sake, she prayed that this wasn’t true.

  Eight days passed as Ella gathered all the information she could with the help of the rest of Illary’s team, Flow and Ted. Along with Illary the four spent as much time as possible reviewing the emissions but this was limited as the season of plenty was drawing to a close and food needed to be gathered. Over these eight days they amassed a staggering amount of evidence, and contradictory information, about what the Others called Eden. Much of it seemed to revolve around something they called religion whi
ch seemed very similar to the Listeners Guild. But in their Pacha, religion seemed to be used as an excuse to hurt each other as much as it was used to give guidance. As far as Ella understood the Listeners Guild were here to help make life better, give hope and promote sharing. If these Others had souls, as the Pachans believed in them, how could they bring so much suffering down on themselves and on WaytaPata?

  “What you have shown us is a shock,” said Cauca at the gathering Illary called in her workshop on the ninth day.

  “Agreed,” said Da’Cince who was looking a little emotional.

  “I am concerned that if these Others as you call them,” added Cunac, “are our long lost brothers and sisters, we cannot risk the Punku opening. Look what they do. How lost from the Listening path they are, what do they share for gain?”

  “Also agreed, Cunac,” said Da’Cince. “Cauca. This information is locked down I take it? I need assurance. I am not convinced that sharing this information is safe or in our best interest. I do not believe it has any trade value. I believe that it is dangerous.”

  “I agree entirely, Uma,” said Cauca lowering his head in respect. “I am going to HuñuyPacha within a cycle as your representative and have no intention of sharing this information. But I will be keeping a Listener's ear open for any talk of emissions or new Punku, anything strange.”

  “I agree that a Listener’s ear is appropriate,” said Cunac jumping in on the statement. “I would like to travel with Cauca to assess what my fellow Listeners may know. With your blessing and your confidence, Uma Da’Cince.”

  “Good. And agreed. Both go. I would like you to go ten days earlier to have more time to listen. Stay in contact. This must stay between us for now. I trust, Illary that you can rely on your team?”

  “They have my full faith, Uma.”

  “I do not want to give up on our brothers and sisters in this realm,” said Ma’Kusi looking up from the table to eye everyone. Everyone listened. Da’Cince nodded for her to continue. “If they are lost, surely we can listen to them. What do we believe; Listen to learn. Share to benefit. In short to help all souls reach peace. We need to listen to them, learn from them and if and when the time is right, help them find peace that appears to be lacking from their lives. I believe we can trade with them, share with them. Some of what I have seen is fantastic. Some of what they have accomplished is stupendous. I have never looked at the night lights, what is it they call them… stars, and considered them anything but anything but lights in the night sky. To think they believe them to be other worlds that are not connected to DiPacha! The image of their home realm, Earth, from above was breath-taking. Does our realm look like that from high above? Do we have stars? These are things we can learn from them.”

  “You may have a point. We have concentrated on the upsetting and negative elements we have witnessed and only acknowledged in passing the new and fantastic. We have been bad Listeners. Too quick to judge.” This was Uma Da’Cince speaking and all looked a little embarrassed, especially Cunac.

  “You are right, Uma,” said Cunac. “I apologise for my oversight. I have found the last cycle very tough. It has shaken me.”

  “The revelations have shaken us all, Cunac. It will take more than a cycle to accept and understand what we have learned.”

  “I believe now is the right time to explain a new phenomenon we have encountered,” said Illary.

  “Go on,” said Da’Cince with a nod. He looked like he could not take much more in. What other possible news could Illary have on top of what they had just learned?

  “Three days ago when we were observing the Punku, we have called it the square window, Flow noticed a disturbance. To be clear the Punku Quadrant remains shut as you requested, Uma. Only my team, have access to the sacred area and the Punku. The day Ted, Flow and Ella saw through the square window, through the Punku, as if it were a normal Punku. They saw rain and felt a vicious wind blow through. Later we viewed a report of a giant storm in that area of WaytaPata. The report warned of another storm due in ten of what they call hours. That’s about half a day in our realm.”

  “What’s the point?” said Cauca sounding a little exasperated.

  “Listen to learn,” said Cunac almost sounding as exasperated. He hated interruptions. It went against all principles of the Listening Guild.

  Illary continued. “As the report said, and at the time predicted, rain and wind came through again…”

  “Go on. I can see you have more to say,” said Ma’Kusi.

  “Well, we believe that when there is a storm large enough on their side of the Punku, it opens briefly letting the wind and the rain through. That means it may be possible for one of us, or one the Others to pass through if we or they were in exactly the right place at the right time.” She finally stopped. There was silence in the room.

  “Our apologies to you, Illary,” said Da’Cince breaking the silence. “I think I can speak for us all when I say that is astonishing. It opens so many opportunities and dangers. This is going to need some careful thought, and listening to those thoughts. I am dismissing this gathering for a day. I would like to see you all here at the same time tomorrow to discuss this. Illary, please pass nothing through any Punku! Listen only.”

  After everyone had left her workshop Illary went for a short walk to think about all they’d found. She needed to see her team and called them over the neural-net using telelink. Heading back to her workshop she walked around the outside of the Quadrant Temple, under the covered walkway that ran around the outside of the temple walls. Just as she approached the door to her workshop Ted opened it making her jump.

  “Illary! How did they react?” demanded Ted not noticing Illary’s concerned look.

  “As you would expect. They were horrified but Ma’Kusi pointed out that we have concentrated too much on the negative. We need to hold closer to our principles of sharing and caring that have kept us all fed, warm and clothed over the generations.” Ted looked questioningly at Illary. “But they need us all to keep this to ourselves as we have been.”

  “Okay, Illary, but I need a day tomorrow. I’ve spent so much time reviewing emissions that my responsibilities on our family plot have been neglected. With the barren season approaching I need a day.”

  “You–”

  Illary started but was interrupted by a sudden loud bang which was followed by screams.

  6.2New beginnings

  Illary and Ted looked at each other. The sudden bang and loud screams caused them both to forget their personal concerns. It sounded like something terrible had happened in the quadrant but they knew no one was in there.

  “Where are Flow and Ella?” Illary yelled above the sudden noise. The screams were continuing but the bang had ended.

  “They have not arrived yet!”

  Now they were both running back down the path to the tower. They swung around the corner and into the sacred quadrant skidding to a halt on the wooden floor. They stopped dead, staring; not daring to believe their eyes and ears. The screams still continued but were beginning to subside into sobs.

  There in front of them in what looked like a circle of smoking cloth were five people in clothes that could have only come from WaytaPata. There were five Others sobbing and screaming sat in the Punku.

  By the time Illary and Ted reached the five people sat in the smoking circle two of the three women had fallen unconscious. One of the men was standing and singing a song they did not recognise. The other couple were in an embrace and crying.

  Illary called Cauca via telelink quickly asking for five trusted people to be sent immediately to the Quadrant Temple and for him to secure an empty building as near the tower entrance as possible.

  Principal Cauca was shocked at being disturbed. He’d been at his home preparing a meal. When he was told why he was needed at the Quadrant Temple he ran to the tower leaving a half-cooked meal of porridge. It was many cycles since he’d run anywhere.

  He arrived at the same time as Chief Listener Cunac
who had heard the screams from the Listener Temple. Cunac was still tying a warm robe as he too arrived running. Illary was waiting for them all inside the base of the tower by her workshop with the door to the quadrant closed.

  “Principal Cauca, have you got five people coming to help; hello, Cunac, by the way.”

  “Yes, my uncle Garlldt and his eldest son Thrum. They’re bringing three friends they trust.”

  “Okay. I’m glad you’re here, Cunac. I will need you to get them all to take the Listeners vow and pledge silence beyond those here tonight. The same vow my team took when we started working on the emissions.”

  “For the sake of the Garden Illary what is happening? People outside can hear these noises. Is anyone hurt?” Cunac sounded alarmed.

  “Shut up both of you. I mean please listen,” corrected Illary collecting herself and remembering who she was talking to, Cauca and Cunac were stunned into silence. Garlldt and Thrum arrived with their three friends, two women and another more elderly man. Thrum looked fit but must have been almost two generations old. Everyone else appeared to be around twenty-five cycles.

  Illary found she was taking charge. Cunac was still silent. He was rarely questioned and even less used to Illary raising her voice. Something big was happening.

  “Thank you for coming. I am sure you have heard some noises from within the sacred Punku Quadrant. Yes, something has happened and I will explain the details soon. Right now, and before you can go through that door…” Illary indicated the door in the wall behind her, “…I need you all to take the Listeners vow. I need to know I can trust you only to talk to those I tell you are involved and not to share this with anyone else. Ever!” Illary emphasised.

  “Why?” said Thrum