by Lea Tassie
"Kings Beard, it's a bit of a puzzle," Brick whispered to Della as scientists from the different worlds debated in the auditorium. "Seems to me they only asked us to help because they think we live underground!"
"I tend to agree," Della whispered back. "Maybe the fools think we are trolls."
Dwarves were not known for quiet whispers. "You have something to add?" a tall, stern Elf named Shale asked. He was the conference chairperson, perturbed by the perceived rudeness of the Dwarf couple.
"We were just discussing why you would assume that we know anything about mountain caves!" snapped Della, never one to back down from a fight.
"Kings Beard! What my wife means to ask," Brick quickly interjected, trying to stave off a fight with the Elves, "is why you think we would be able to resolve this issue. We Dwarves have not lived in caves for hundreds of years."
"But your ancestors were the only humans so primitive that they actually did live in caves!" a snide Techno-creep from New Eden blurted. Smothered snickering followed.
"That may be true, but at least we don't live with our heads up our asses!" retorted a red-faced Della.
Yells erupted from all over the room. A man in the crowd rose, held up his hand for silence, and spoke. He was tall and thin, almost cadaverous, with piercing black eyes and long gray hair. He wore a black cloak and his name was Dart.
"I was a member of the team that lived on Crenel and adapted our appearance to interact with these giants," Dart said softly. "The construction of their homes is an important topic. We need to understand the science behind their ability to create things apparently from nothing."
Dart continued without interruption. "We on New Eden have long understood the properties of the new elements discovered in the universe, and of supersymmetry, and we have been able to build everything we have now with that knowledge. But to find a species of intelligent life forms with the ability to create as we do, yet with no understanding of the elements of our universe or of supersymmetry, is difficult to comprehend."
There was muttering from the crowd. Killing one another had long since become something humans didn't do, but many at the meeting thought killing this mistake of an individual could be forgiven. Dart was the child of Charger R/T and Reanna, a couple considered by most as an amalgamation from hell. The only human more despised was Abarth, but he had disappeared at about the same time Charger R/T wiped out the Grays.
At the time of Dart's birth, humanity had just started learning the processes of elements in the periodic table. Where the periodic table once stopped at element 118, the new periodic table now stopped at element 435. With new eyes, humanity had taken its first real look into supersymmetry and at the hidden realm of the universe. The progression toward immortality was the next logical step. The technological creep toward humans with god-like powers was moving steadily.
"Kings Beard, we will need time to explore and understand the processes in place with these beings. I don't think we can give an answer right away." Brick was trying to refocus the gathering.
At this stage of their evolution, humanity was capable of joining in a simple hive-like mind when necessary. Which is to say that all humans could, in a sense, know what all the other humans knew. So stating that time was needed to study a problem was rare, for knowledge was now a gift now that all humans shared. Unhappy with the thought of having to wait for answers, the convention group reluctantly broke up its meeting for the time being.
"Hey, bottlehead, have I mentioned how much I hate Martians?" Della griped to Brick as they went out of the room with more information then they felt like dealing with.
Brick was about to respond when Dart approached and asked, "Can I help?"
"I don't know!" Della exploded. "Have your family members ever lived in caves?"
"I'm sorry, my wife is a little dismayed," Brick offered.
"It's all right, I've had worse things said to me and about me," Dart responded kindly. Dart had chosen the age of fifty for his appearance. He'd always liked fifty; it made him seem knowledgeable. In truth, he had lived a little over a thousand years. He could easily appear any age he wanted to be, but fifty suited him.
Every human alive knew who Dart was, and who his parents were. So he half expected to be rejected, as was the norm. He was pleasantly surprised, therefore, at Brick's acceptance. The three decided to wander down the street to a restaurant for a snack.
With a large cup of steeped tea in her hands, Della said to Dart, "So, you were there with these beastly Crenels. What can you tell us about their abilities?"
"They like their name to be pronounced 'Cree Nails,'" Dart offered politely. "In the two years my team interacted with these giants, we never witnessed them actually building or excavating anything. However, we did witness changes to their cities that simply seemed to arise out of nowhere."
"Kings Beard! Like magic?" Brick joked, trying to be funny.
"Well, yes, I guess that would best describe the process," Dart responded quietly. Over the years, he had grown to be gun-shy around people and his reserved way of speaking was mostly due to the abuse he suffered from those who judged him. He'd been over one hundred years old before he won the court battle to have his genetics modified, a record for the law courts at that time. It had taken some time before he was modified to conform to the way that other people were now created. But, because he was the child of two primitive humans, Dart was still often the target for jokes.
"We made a point of watching day and night, hoping to witness the process, but never had any luck," Dart said. "We couldn't just ask, because we were posing as them. They would question why their own kind could not understand the process."
"That makes sense," Brick replied as he shoved food into his mouth. For the Dwarves, eating with manners had become a lost art.
Della was munching on some cooked fish, with pieces of it escaping from her mouth onto the table. She blurted, "Well, it's obvious! There must be some unseen force, some mysterious creature that is looking after these giants."
"Kings Beard, that's a leap in thought!" Brick laughed. "What made you come to that conclusion? In the entire universe, we have never witnessed a master or supreme being providing in such a manner."
"Remember that black sphere years ago, the one that claimed it was our god of writing? If you remember, it claimed to be a provider for our early ancestors. Maybe these god things are common, maybe there's a group of gods and they take turns taking care of lesser beings." More food escaped Della’s mouth and hit the table, causing Dart to slide his chair back from the table so as not to get hit.
"Maybe there is only one god, and it is everywhere, and it's ours," Brick said jokingly. "Better check under your bed tonight!"
"Della might be on to something," Dart put in quietly, hoping not to offend either Dwarf. "My father spent an eternity locked in a battle with a god-thing. He told me that the black sphere repeatedly tried to destroy and then recreate him. The black sphere did do that to the First Ones who were in the time-lock with him. It was trying to develop a following, and intended to first defeat and then control him. Which, obviously, it could not do."
"Wow, that's warped!" Brick stated, as if his comment had something valuable to add. Della gave him a stern look and he fell quiet.
"Gods be, if we assume there is a being capable of creating homes for the giants, then it falls to us to try and locate it." Della ran her chubby fingers through the remains of her food. She liked the feel of food on her fingers, and loved shoving them in her mouth to suck on them afterward.
Brick finally asked, "Hey, whatever happened to that black sphere thing that said it was the god of writing?" No one had an answer.
With their task decided, the three joined their bodies together and, in a brilliant flash of light, blinked to Crenel, the planet of the giants. Still combined, they took the form of a giant and began their investigation. They had an idea of what to look for now and, within a few weeks, discovered another black sphere. This one lived deep beneath
the surface of the massive world.
It now seemed obvious that the black sphere must be helping the Crenels, for the giants had icons which represented underworld beings. But this black sphere was very different from the one humanity had encountered long ago. The three hoped that their approach toward it had gone unnoticed, but it radiated a strong feeling of revulsion toward them. They got just barely close enough to observe it. However, feeling threatened, it lashed out with a field of hatred and anger, hoping to ensnare the threesome. They retreated quickly and blinked back to Mars with their findings.
"See, I was right!" snapped a tall Elf at the ensuing conference, hoping to stick a finger in Della’s eye. "Get a Dwarf, I said. They understand caves, I said." Feeling vindicated, this Elf went on for some time before order was restored to the conference.
"Gods be, did I mention how much I hate Martians?" Della added, as if this were the first time she had ever said such a thing. Brick just rolled his eyes.
Dart tried to explain their findings to the reconvened conference, but his description of the threat this new black sphere presented had little impact on the audience. Humanity had grown powerful and arrogant, and so feared little.
"This black sphere clearly has an immense influence on the Crenels. I hate to think what might happen if these giants were pushed toward hatred," Dart said, though the gathering seemed intent on ignoring his findings. "We cannot afford to underestimate what such hatred might lead to. Imagine an army of giants backed by a power that could destroy anything which tried to oppose them!"
The conference adjourned as unsettled as when it started, leaving Dart disillusioned. "I don't understand how they can just ignore our findings," Dart said to no one in particular as he walked slowly away from the podium where he had just given his speech. He knew that the threat he'd outlined was clear enough for anyone to understand.
"The giants have the power of creation but a limited understanding of the process, and if we know this then surely, since the minds of humanity are linked, Spyder knows this as well," Dart continued to grumble.
It had only been five hundred years since humanity endured the attacks of Abarth and the Grays. Dart said, "Everyone knows Abarth was solely responsible for the Grays' attack on us, just as everyone knows that Spyder then declared himself heir to Abarth's power. And we know Spyder spends much of his time on Crenel. How can everyone ignore that?"
Brick just shrugged his broad shoulders and continued to walk next to Dart as the small group left the conference room.
"Let’s eat!" Della led the way toward the restaurant they'd visited before.
As the three sat and munched, Brick asked, "So, your worry is that Spyder seeks revenge against humanity for Abarth’s disappearance?"
"Or else he's aiming to be as powerful as Abarth was," Dart responded.
"You could be right." Brick and Della both sighed.
***
Spyder had ample knowledge of the giants and their demigod black sphere. While Dart, Brick and Della ate at the cafeteria, far off in space on Crenel, Spyder was standing before the god.
"It is true we once worshiped you. A tribe of desert-dwelling people called you our first and only god," Spyder yelled to the immovable black sphere deep inside the planet. It seemed to pay little attention, so Spyder decided to step up his game. "You were the old god, replaced by a kind and loving god, and that was wrong. You represented discipline and order to humanity and you punished wrong-doers. In my church, Abarth killed our false prophet and now, as the new head of the ecclesiastical, I have restored your greatness to our people!" Spyder was calm in his simplistic deception of this omnipotent being.
The black sphere continued to ignore Spyder, so he stepped closer cautiously, almost sure that he need not fear death. "Please, I beseech you, great one, return with me to the home of these heretics, and together we can usher in your return to dominance and greatness." For a moment Spyder wondered if the sphere even knew of his presence.
A voice boomed from the black sphere. "You speak to me as if I were a fool, small one. What right do you have to be in my presence?"
Spyder jumped with alarm. "Please, great and mighty one, I only seek your assistance in destroying a vile and repulsive demon. The other god was tricked into defeat, but with my help and that of my church, we can destroy this Charger R/T. It is an abomination that has no right to exist!"
"I cannot be defeated!" the sphere boomed.
Spyder adjusted his tactics in seeking its cooperation. "That is true, great one. I was wrong when I spoke. Please forgive my foolishness. I only meant that the other being like you, which is still alive, was deceived by these heretics I speak of, and who need to be punished." Spyder decided that kneeling and praying might sway this being over to his side so, falling to his knees, he continued his deceptive speech.
"Please, almighty holy one, destroy this demon and show these humans that they should never have strayed from such a righteous path as the one you first set out." Spyder pleaded like a child begging for candy.
The sphere seemed unmoved. Spyder switched tactics again. "I understand now. You have a faithful following here and are worshiped. You probably have little time to spend on disciplining a cursed people so far away. I understand. For all I know, you might be trapped here in this dark and depressing underground. The other being like you still lives on New Eden, but is mostly ignored and shunned because it is weak and impotent. It even tries to negotiate with these heretics in hopes of swaying the masses to return to following its guidance." Spyder felt the ground beneath his feet shudder. Taking this as a sign he might be getting through, he pressed on.
"This god was trapped by humanity and held helpless by the demon Charger R/T that I spoke of. It even once appeared at Abarth's church. It gave a rousing speech of compassion and love. But in the end Abarth thanked it and sent it on its way. We are not seeking forgiveness for what this demon has done, we want to find justice!"
The black sphere finally responded. "You are small and insignificant to us, and I know all of which you speak. We have already left our place in this universe and have long been traveling toward your planet. When we arrive, and that will be soon, we will place a pestilence upon the face of man. None of you will survive!"
"Thank you, oh mighty one, thank you! I look forward to the day you arrive to smite the demon Charger R/T…"
The black sphere boomed, "Enough!" An invisible force plucked Spyder from where he stood and flung him into the void of space. There he floated for some time, content in his deception and reveling in the joy of power. Eventually, however, he realized that he had no idea where he was. But he knew that he had pushed the right buttons, and had, in fact, poked a stick in the eye of this god. Retribution would soon befall humanity.
Chapter 15 Attack of the black sphere
Dart speaks to Reader:
You want to know why, when Abarth, Spyder, and Jet stole the world ship, it is at this very moment orbiting New Eden? Sorry, that's something else I forgot to tell you.
We found the world ship back about 4260, after Abarth and Charger R/T had disappeared. Spyder had vanished, too. Nobody was on the planet except for Jet and some Gray hybrids, all of them dead. We brought the planet home, cleaned it up, repaired it, and resettled it. A lot of work!
Nobody has seen Abarth or Charger since then. However, Spyder didn't stay hidden for long. He became the head of Abarth's church and took up where Abarth left off. He claimed that Abarth named him successor and he's wearing a pope's finery and making nearly as much ugly noise as Abarth did. The members of his church must believe him, though, because none of them are arguing.
Yeah, I agree. Pretty stupid. But that's humanity for you. They often don't want to face reality.
***
Hundreds of years ago, when Tegra-Duran was still prime minister of New Eden, he and the Prime Taskoid became friends. They had discussed many things, including the code that created the original Taskers and the strange code which eventually created th
em as Taskoids.
After Charger R/T and the black sphere, which claimed dominion over humans, had been confined in the time-lock together, and the Prime had disappeared, Tegra-Duran retired from politics and went into hiding until the furor about the black sphere died down. He had, like almost all the humans of New Eden, accepted the medical benefits of the longevity program. Now some twenty-two hundred years of age and still working part-time in a lab on planet Crest, he was spending the weekend quietly fishing on a private beach with a bucket of pan-sized trout beside him and armed guards nearby.
Tegra-Duran was content with life. His wife, Gerdra, still spoiled him. Their last two children, Bethillian and Delliam, who'd been created late in his life, were now more than five hundred years old, married and happy in their careers. And Tegra himself enjoyed his job in the lab.
Gerdra approached with a small blinking device in her hands. "Dear, this thing that's cluttered up your office desk for so long is making a racket in the house. Can't you throw the damn thing away?"
A chill ran down Tegra's spine; he knew what the signal meant. "Give the device to me. I will handle this." Tegra-Duran took the instrument from her and offered a kiss. She willingly accepted.
Tegra said to one of the security guards, "Get the transport, I need to go to the prime minister's office now." The guard snapped into action as Tegra explained to Gerdra that he must leave for a few hours and would call when he was ready to come home.
A short time later, Tegra walked up the familiar steps to the ministries building. The staff recognized him immediately and came to attention. They knew that if Tegra-Duran was returning, it must mean something momentous was about to happen.
