by JB Penrose
Jesus used the crew’s eternity to make Iscar promise something: “You must be ready when She is ready. Your dreams will help the Spokesmon awaken the world. When she accepts who She is, the Spokesmon will have the secret of Heaven on Earth.”
“Just when everything should be going right, it’s extremely close to going wrong.”
Iscar was startled by the voice but he recognized it immediately. He’d long stopped wondering how Mother Star got around.
“It’s not so bad,” he tried to sound confident. Opening his eyes, he could see the sarcasm on her face that her voice held; her lips were tight and her gaze was penetrating. He didn’t stand. “The Spokesmon’s here now and the Awakening has already started.”
“You don’t think you might have hurried things along just a bit when you brought her against her will?”
“It was for her own good, and Delphi’s. She’s agreed to stay, and now she’s glad she’s here.”
Mother Star sat on a close bench and casually brushed invisible dirt from her gown. “But you don’t think she’s capable of changing the world, do you?”
“Not without Delphi’s help.”
“And yours?”
“Well, naturally I’ll offer my assistance. I know Delphi best.”
“You assume she’ll listen?”
“I recognize her independence, but I think it will be fine. She loves it here.”
“Speaking of love. Did you know she was married to Kerroon?”
“Married? To Kerroon?” Suddenly Gabriel’s alliance with his old crewmate seemed even more dangerous. He stood, and began to pace nervously. “She never indicated-”
“Why should she?” Mother Star’s voice had an edge to it. “The actions you’ve taken have changed the timing set for the Spokesmon’s purpose. And your involvement with outsiders has brought attention to Delphi. At the point these Paths cross you will be forced to make the biggest decision of your life.”
“A choice? I’ve had to make plenty of them. Why don’t you tell me something that can help? The only choice I’ve had is to do it my way.”
“Choice is the only power that all of us have.”
She disappeared the moment he stepped toward her. That didn’t surprise him; she was always there to deliver the news, good or bad. Iscar pulled up his chair at the desk and closed his eyes. He just needed some time to think.
In truth, Iscar could never recall when he’d been given a choice. His path was pre-destined from the moment their spaceship crashed on Earth. Maybe even that was destiny.
His emotions were steeled by centuries of discipline. No anticipation; no regret, just the formula of completing a plan of action. But, Kerroon married to Rachel? How had he missed something as important as the Spokesmon marrying one of the Orygin’s crew? And Kerroon? Why did it have to be Kerroon?
Iscar appeared with fresh coffee just after Rachel had washed up. He’d been awake for several hours, still trying to establish contact with Donnally, or Gabriel, but her simple mental transmission “I’m ready” set a different action into motion.
“Did you rest well last night?” He hoped the activity of preparation hadn’t kept her awake.
“Thank you. I was comfortable.” She looked refreshed in the chair and he placed the tray on the table between them. “I feel a little silly about all of this fuss. I’ve never been comfortable in the limelight.”
“We celebrate everyone’s arrival in Delphi. Arrival dates replace a traditional birthday, and tonight is even more special. There hasn’t been an Arrival or a birth for more than seven years.” He handed her a cup and sat opposite her.
“In the beginning,” he continued, “they arrived in small groups. They asked to stay and dream with the Oracle, and stayed longer to learn and to develop what they saw in their dreams. Eventually, the city grew into a reality and it has waited more than a thousand years for the Arrival of the Spokesmon.”
“I don’t understand how you could know enough about me to make anyone interested to build a city for an unproven purpose,” Rachel sighed.
“Truthfully, I knew very little.” He fingered the collar on his uniform. “The Oracle sprinkled our dreams with visions of you, conversations, even advice. It was the Oracle that instructed us how to be ready for this moment, and well, when the Oracle touches you like that. . .”
“I feel the tasht’s vibration,” she admitted, “but I’ve not had the pleasure of dreaming in Delphi, yet.”
“You just haven’t been here long enough.” Iscar hope she understood the difference, that the Oracle belonged to Delphi and not to Kerroon. “It’s inescapable.”
He took a computer drive from his breast pocket and placed it on the table between them. “I do have something for you, something I always intended to give the Spokesmon. It’s my own chronicle of Delphi, of how things were built and who was instrumental in designing certain sections. I thought you might be interested in the history.”
“History isn’t always accurate,” Rachel said and Iscar shrugged. She picked an apple from the fruit tray and shined it against her sleeve as she continued. “The story of your death was particularly inaccurate.”
“No one really understood Judas. Or what it was I had to do. Judas Iscariot needed to die in a big way, one the world would remember. But, I hope you will see that in Delphi I am a different person. In Delphi I am Iscar, the Septorian,” he shrugged. “A much different person than Judas Iscariot.”
“I understand what you did back then more than I understand what you think you’re doing now.”
“I’m not thinking about it. I’ve done it! Your being here proves it!” Iscar needed to make her understand.
Finally, she reached across the table to pick up the disk, and immediately sat back in her seat when she held it. Her vibrations were strong and emotional but it was a momentary vulnerability. Awkwardly, she started to put it down and then seemed to decide against it. He wondered what disturbed her but she didn’t comment or question him.
Rachel stood. She fidgeted with the drive until she placed it in a pocket of her schmate. “Thank you,” she said. “You and I are due for a long question and answer period, but right now I’m guessing that you have something else to show me.”
“It would be my pleasure to show you Delphi.” Iscar walked to the doorway and held it opened. “And to answer any questions.”
The faraway look in her eyes changed and when she smiled sincerely, Iscar released his pent breath.
“You can start by telling me the meaning of the symbols over the door.”
“Certainly.” Iscar straightened and let the pride of Delphi reflect in his voice. “It’s a safety method of mapping the internal crevices of a large cave. For instance, this triangle represents an opening to the main cavern; a square indicates an internal cave. The numbers indicate how many openings inside the internal cave.
“We also have a system for directions. You'll hear an address like Level-5, Kether, 6-4-1. Of course, fifth story, and Kether to indicate the neighborhood. Six-four-one will take you to the kitchen, by the way.”
“That would also be the source of the wonderful aroma."
“Yes, there’s much preparation for tonight’s banquet. If you’re hungry we can make that our first stop.”
Her quick intake of breath was countered by her resolve, and she shook her head. “It smells wonderful, but I’m sure you have other places you’d like to show me.”
He laughed. “I’ll just show you some highlights first. The computer in your residence can give you more history on the neighborhoods.”
“I saw that, thank you.”
“Great,” he said. “Let’s get started.”
The hall outside her doorway accessed stairs at both ends. He tried to decide which route to take her down to the main level. “Either direction will take you into the city, although the back route,” he motioned to a darker path behind the Falls, “is less visible.”
“There’s no need to hide. I’m sure everyone kn
ows I’m here.” Rachel shrugged. “I don’t mind, really.” She started toward the main stairs without him.
The huge mineral curtain that poured out from the side was clearly the heart of the city; its size dominated the cavern and the dim radiance of the Oracle permeated like a constant shade of amber twilight.
“How did you manage to get the tasht into the heart of that dripstone?” Rachel asked. She could feel energy pulse through the community like a heartbeat.
“You can see why we call it Mammoth Falls; it was already formed by the time I arrived.” His voice softened. “The tasht embedded itself one night, early on. I don’t know how,” he admitted with a shrug, “but that’s when Delphi was really born.”
Mammoth Falls shielded the stairway with a curtain of minerals obviously formed over millenniums. The Oracle’s glow from within dimly illuminated the cascade of mineral waves in colors and textures, from well above to well-below the entrance.
The Falls curtained their short descent from the residence and when she arrived at the amphitheatre on the main level she stopped to listen to the city. He could tell she heard the sentry’s mental-relay of the Spokesmon’s appearance, and as the information passed instantly between points around the cavern everyone’s attention focused on the stage area. The hum of activity turned into a thousand greetings.
“Welcome, Spokesmon.” “Shalom.” “Be well.”
Although each greeting was lightly spoken, the wave of emotion washed over her with a force of energy that left her breathless, but she collected herself quickly and her initial hesitation was replaced with a genuine smile.
“Hello, Aaron. Nice to see you again.” She approached the Master Healer first and clasped his hand before moving to the next person. “Shalom, Lydia.” “Leonard.” “Ling Mi.” He watched as Rachel greeted everyone by name without introduction, just as she had greeted the Septor’s crew.
She was drawn to the parapet by the volume of people she heard in the cavern. Every time she lifted her arms to quiet the city’s population the intensity of their cheers grew louder. She looked over her shoulder for support but Iscar only shrugged and stepped back.
It had finally happened! After centuries of promises, Iscar had delivered his proof. He wasn’t going to dampen their enthusiasm one quotient and smiled supremely at what he witnessed. On the jutted parapet, the Spokesmon stood before her citizens, laughing and crying at the welcome she received. This is what Iscar had long envisioned.
Suddenly everyone’s attention focused on the vid-screens and silence fell over the cavern.
Tears into blossoms!
The fragment of thought came from Aaron, his expression frozen with awe. The sea of faces behind the Master Healer showed clear restraint in holding back their excitement. Rachel’s hands went to her face and she seemed surprised to find her cheeks wet.
When she looked down where everyone’s attention focused, and stopped – clearly surprised. She saw the gardenia blossoms piled around her feet and the fragrance permeated the air. When Rachel smiled, everyone let go their breath at once.
“Thank you for this welcome,” she whispered.
Iscar heard her response as though it whispered in his ear alone. Suddenly the cavern stilled completely; he knew everyone heard it the same.
Rachel’s heart raced; her feet were frozen to the spot. She closed her eyes and tried to compose herself. She was not going to let herself move into a faint this time.
Tears into blossoms? How could she explain that it happened when she didn’t even know she’d been crying! Gardenias? Rachel smiled as her hands went to her heart and felt the ring hanging around her neck. Only days ago, her wedding bouquet was made of gardenias. You’re with me always, my love.
The blossoms weighted Rachel’s feet to the spot and she knelt just to make herself move, to pick up a flower and place it in her hair behind her ear. She let the collective joy of Delphi’s citizens’ buoy her confidence as she rose. Rachel finally had to back away from the parapet, leaving a pile of blossoms on the floor.
“I think I’ve worked up that appetite we were talking about.” She tried to act naturally about what had just happened. “Level-5, Kether, did you say?”
Iscar motioned toward the moving walkway. “We’ll take the transvela.”
She forced her feet in the direction Iscar gestured and stepped onto the moving tarmac beside him. Crowds moved aside as they glided past. It was nice not to walk; she wasn’t sure her legs would do as she commanded.
The vela moved smoothly down and across the cityscape. The thoughts of welcome were projected softly, occasionally accompanied by the Delphi salute. Rachel relaxed more with each breath and looked around with great curiosity as the transvela carried them to their destination.
“The architecture in here is most incredible. I can’t dream how you got into some of those locations; let alone how you carried equipment to that height.”
“Delphi was built with special talents, by special people,” he offered vaguely.
“And I love the stars!” She looked up. “I guess it helps to keep up with day and night even when you’re inside a mountain.”
“Actually, they’re not stars. It’s daytime outside the mountain and those are fresh air vents in the false bottom of the crater. It’s juxtaposition, but stars are a consistency that everyone relates to.”
She laughed to herself at being fooled. It was difficult to remember she was underground. “Delphi seems to be void of a sense of time altogether.”
“We don’t really use the concept of time, only as ready or not ready. In Delphi, we sleep when tired, eat when hungry, or meet someone when ready. Without the counting of time you can meditate alone for hours or weeks.”
“Quiet meditation; I look forward to that.”
Rachel surveyed the accomplishments of Delphi while the walkway descended slowly through the levels. The cavern activity continued under the guise of completing their preparations for tonight’s banquet but she knew everyone watched them, politely curious.
“Has no one has ever found Delphi by accident?”
“There are no accidents,” he smiled, “but there are a few precautions, and of course a state-of-the-art security system to shield against outside detection. Discrete surveillance teams make regular patrols and we have contacts scattered around the world in important places.”
“I must admit Delphi is beautiful, but I don’t understand how the Oracle told you to build all of this.”
“The Oracle is only responsible for bringing these people together. Once here, it’s up to the person to contribute their talent to what Delphi has become.”
“And they are quite talented. Some of these facades are architectural wonders.”
“Not just talented.” Iscar looked at Rachel curiously. “Maybe you don’t understand the potential of Delphi’s citizens and the handiwork that built this city. It’s more than craft. Everyone here has a paranormal talent. I apologize,” he faced her squarely, “if you didn’t know that. I assumed differently when you responded to my communication.”
“Yes, of course I heard you. But everyone?” She shook her head. Iscar nodded his.
The idea intrigued her, and their connection to the Oracle was even more curious, but then, she had already experienced the Powers of the Oracle.
Peter was in possession of the rest of the roleau, and his was constructed from five of the six pieces from the Orygin’s crewmembers. What Delphi knew as the Oracle was only a piece of the whole, and yet it had orchestrated this hidden city in the Spokesmon’s name.
“That explains it, then.” She nodded appreciatively. “Only within a group of psi-talents trained to shield their thoughts from others, could it ever feel this peaceful!”
“As you have seen, they’re quite adept at turning it off and on.” He confirmed. “Some didn’t know of their talent until they arrived, but once, here their powers were explored and refined.”
“How do you tutor that kind of education?” Rac
hel was genuinely curious. “Is there a graduate program or something?”
“While there are levels of accomplishment, it’s quite a bit different from structured education. As you can imagine, it’s a little more difficult to live in a city filled with paranormal talents. In our case, the aim is to not leave your imprint lying around. As an example, you shouldn’t be able to pick up a pen and know who wrote with it last.”
Rachel nodded. “I can usually sense what they wrote.”
“In Delphi, we try not to leave any imprint on anything.”
“I can tell!” She took another deep breath and visibly relaxed. “Or - I can’t tell! It’s refreshing to feel nothing of their presence. In Georgetown I was empathic to an entire community.”
“I’m sure you’ll catch a stray thought or two; I don’t try to perceive your own abilities, but I think you’ll find only the most dedicated and talented arrive in Delphi.”
“I feel the acknowledgement of every one of them,” she admitted. “But, it’s like they’re on call if I need them.”
“Yes! We’re here for your service!” Iscar was pleased that she was comfortable with the ability of Delphians. “You’ll be impressed at the extent of their talents.”
“You said the tasht communicates with everyone through dreams?” Rachel asked.
“Primarily in dreams. We record our experiences in a personal journal called Pathways.” He turned her gently by the elbow and directed her toward an intersection of walkways while he continued talking. “There are long discussions; some are more like debates about the interpretation of a dream or instruction. The teachings of the Oracle aren’t always as crystal clear as we’d like.”
“I can only imagine how nice it is to find answers in your dreams,” she said. Rachel suffered from nightmares for many years; something she hoped would pass now that her life seemed to be on tract.
