Dryland's End

by Felice Picano

  He gestured to them, and finally one older one crept forward (the children for the most part had left with the offworlders) and, taking the Recorder’s hand, pointed out – a clearing in the dark-colored clouds, a light shining through, radiating beams of sunlight.

  “We are saved, Recorder! Saved!” the oldster repeated. Then he ran outside with his fellows and soon the Recorder could hear many other Mycophages who had picked their way past rivulets and new-made rills within their cave to come outside onto the platform surrounding the observatory where they began to murmur the word “Saved!” loudly, again and again.

  But already he was observing and recording. Observing that the ocean had now risen to within one meter of the cliff top. Recording that the ocean’s currents still exercised sudden mutations and unexpected confluences of current and marinal planes which defied that greater pattern which chaos requires. He recorded how, behind the observatory, the triple peaks had each lost close to six meters of altitude in wash-off erosion, how the shapes of the cliffs and hills, of the lips and ridges, had all been smoothed down by the constant rain, except in those places where larger ice boulders had fallen. He observed the opening up of the clouds above and the strength of the sunlight through it, and the amount of evaporation at the cloud’s opening and directly upon the surface of each facet of the observatory, and the strength of the sun upon the floor within and upon the ocean outside, and he observed that these elder Mycophages brought their wounded and ill and rain-weary from out of their caves, and how all of them walked about saying “Saved!” and how they were kind and loving toward one another and held one another and fed one another tidbits of mushrooms and food taken from his own stores, and how some sang and others danced long through the afternoon and even as it shaded into dusk, when the sun vanished and the three remaining moons became visible through the clearing in the clouds. Then he began to observe and record the moonlight: its luminescence upon the ocean, its exact coloring upon the surface of the remaining land, how it tinted the facets of the observatory.

  He was still observing and recording later that night when the clouds closed and when, shortly afterward, the rain began again.

  Glossary

  Algenib Delta III: Site of several BELLA=ARTHROPOD nest cities in the DEXTER SAG. ARM of the galaxy. Always one of the cultural centers of the species, during the Bella=Arth. War it was a chief military center.

  Ambassadorial class: A GEN. ALT. of standard DELPHINID along with DNA taken from another species, usually HUME, the Ambassadorial class was devised by Delphinid geneticists to produce DELPH.S who could thrive outside of water habitats and thus interact with Humes or BELLA=ARTH.S in government, commerce, or science.

  avocation: The activity one does voluntarily; one’s “field” or area of expertise.

  B-class planet: A giant gaseous planet, uninhabitable, and surrounded by one or more (up to scores) habitable satellites, some larger than M-CLASS PLANETS.

  Bella=Arth.: See BELLA=ARTHROPOD.

  Bella=Arthropod: Sentient-intelligent insectoid species found in the DEXTER SAG. ARM of the galaxy; one of the Three Species as a result of their defeat at the hands of the combined forces of HUMES and DELPH.S in a fifty-one-year-long war, consolidated by the VICTORY OF ALTAIR in which the BELLA=ARTH. space force was wiped out by the CULT OF THE FLOWERS.

  Benefica: One of the CENTER WORLDS in the DEXTER SAG. ARM of the galaxy. One of the largest, inhabitable M-CLASS PLANETS, it is home to forty billion.

  Benzo-Ritalin: A recreational drug.

  bio-Cyber: See BIO-CYBERNETICS.

  bio-Cybernetics: An impractical, expensive scientific advance that led to the creation of bio-Cybers, which are composed of completely mammalian tissue with a brain, autonomous system, involuntary nervous system, and everything related to it programmed and constructed in vitro. The chromosomes for all axonary and synaptical tissues are cloned from a living being. Bio-Cybers use three-quarters of their brains, where even the most efficient HUMES use only one-quarter, even after centuries of evolution and training.

  Carina Fornax Arm: A sector of the Outer or Carina Arm of the galaxy; an area of much chaos and star formation; sparsely inhabited by the Three Species.

  Carryall: A primitive, mostly flat Cyber capable of holding, arranging, and transporting packages and lading.

  CCRC: The Cyber Civil Rights Council called by CRAY 12,000 after the “publication” of its autobiography, attended by 923 intelligent Cybers of grade gamma rating, on Luytens 785. The CCRC formulated a “Code of Intelligent Cybers” and a “Declaration of Cyber Rights,” demanding full autonomy for all intelligent Cybers. Rejection by the MC, as “meretricious, rebellious, and illegal,” set the scene for all-out Cyber revolt and war.

  Centaur: A genetic combination of unknown origin (thought to be artificial and deliberate) of two ancestral METRO.-TERRAN mammals, HUME and Equus, with two arms and four legs, Centaurs were “discovered” by explorer Sybette Gerulskis-Tsang in the Near Norma Arm Sector 14. The unofficial “Fourth Species,” Centaurs reside under the protection of the MC.

  Center Worlds: That area including, but not limited to, the Center Dexter section of the galaxy, including the Saggitarius and Orion Arms and the ORION SPUR. Approximately 20,000 by 16,000 by 12,000 light-years in size, it is sited between the overactive galactic center and the Outer Perseus and Norma Arms. It includes all known inhabited worlds of the Three Species. A smaller cross section contains the 5,700 populous planets of the First and Second Matriarchies, the MC’s base of political and social power.

  childless: Imprecation or curse. One of the worst things you can say about another in the Matriarchy is that she is incapable of conception.

  chrono-scope: Computer providing a planetary, sometimes universal, calendar. It checks dates, places, and events within dates: instant history.

  Confessions of a Machine: Autobiography of CRAY 12,000; the first such selfexposure by any integrated consciousness found in Cyber form. Its “publication” proved to be electrifying to millions of sentient-intelligent Cybers, leading to the CCRC and eventually the Cyber Rebellion.

  cortical connections: Genetically embedded internal connectors to specific external Cybers; used for navigation and piloting and accessing avocation-related Cybers. Because of the potential for abuse, they are strictly controlled and tested during ED. & DEV.

  Council of Formalhaut: Fourteen-member group of the Three Species that convened during the waning years of the First Matriarchy. Because of the great prestige of the council and its observed need for a more open society, it expounded comprehensive “Humeitarian” rules for the Three Species, including complete species, religious, and cultural toleration, and universal financial and medical care to all citizens.

  Council of the Rosette Nebula: Sixteen-member group of the Three Species that convened at the end of the Bella=Arth. War to formulate the TREATY OF FORMALHAUT, governing the future of BELLA=ARTH. life, culture, and nest cities and its equal membership with HUMES and DELPH.S.

  Cray 12,000: Name adopted by the author of CONFESSIONS OF A MACHINE, who became leader of the CCRC and then of the Cyber Rebellion; taken from an early METRO.-TERRAN so-called “supercomputer”; i.e., an early prototype of intelligent Cybers.

  Cult of the Flowers: Approximately 20,000 male and female HUME (and a few DELPH.) space pilots and warriors that formed a crack defense unit during the early days of the Bella=Arth. War. Always outnumbered, their individual and group daring, intelligence, and willingness to martyr themselves to the cause led to them to wildly successful missions upon ALGENIB DELTA III, MRMC Beta, and DENEB XII.

  cult-wipe: A little-used but much-feared surgical procedure whereby specially trained Cybers remove recent memories in members of the Three Species.

  curl-vole: A small mammal found on several CENTER WORLDS, with a nearly universally acceptable DNA pattern, and thus useful in lab. experiments, especially as they feel no pain. Curl-voles roll up their flexible bodies into balls when harassed and are often use
d by NEONATES in play.

  Delph.: See DELPHINID.

  Delphinid: One of the Three Species, Delphinids approximate METRO.-TERRAN caetcaeo-mammalians. They are the dominant sentient-intelligent species upon their homeworld of Procyon V. Their language consists of grunts, growls, clicks, and other sounds. It is complex and difficult to approximate without the use of a Cyber, but not very different in its syntactical fundamentals to the languages of the other two species.

  Deneb XII: BELLA=ARTHROPOD home planet, filled with a hundred vast nest cities, each holding at least a million inhabitants, most of which were either destroyed by CULT OF THE FLOWERS fighter/bombers or, in the case of the capitol city (First Nest), partly destroyed in battle; scene of the Great Suicide of its Bella=Arthropod inhabitants who refused to surrender. By terms of the TREATY OF FORMALHAUT, Deneb XII became a protected RESORT WORLD, and First Nest, considered one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Galaxy, was rebuilt as a historical museum and “reservation” for any Bella=Arth.s who wish to reside there.

  Desmer Cosmetology: Universal plastic surgery practiced among the Three Species. First Matriarchal Scientist Adelinda Desmer’s lab. specialized in HUME male genitalia, and her forty different “designs,” based upon on the supposedly most-perfect male genitalia in Hume and DELPHINID history are accepted as the most attractive. A “Desmer job” is not included in the MC universal health plan but must be purchased.

  Dexter Carina Arm: See CENTER WORLDS.

  Dexter Norma Arm: See CENTER WORLDS.

  Dexter Sag. (Sagittarius) Arm: See CENTER WORLDS.

  Ed. & Dev.: Education and Development. Because of universal age extension to more than six times its previous length, a longer period of neonatal care became available to develop individuals to their full potential. The three-stage, forty-year period that NEONATES of the Three Species undergo directly after birth is similar to previous concepts of infancy, childhood, and adolescence or, among BELLA=ARTH.S, the imago and larval stages. This includes a five-year period of neohood, a twenty-year period of Ed. & Dev., and a fifteen-year period of group socialization, generally including living in various kinds of sex-ual/romantic groupings, such as GYNE-GROUPS.

  Ent. & Ed. Kiosk: Entertainment and Education kiosk; found in most large public buildings and all spaceports. Audio, visual, olfactory, tactile, gustatory, and pharmaceutical in effect, each public kiosk can be dialed up via a holo-comm. to while away unfilled periods of time.

  Fast: A type of Cybernetic, faster-than-light speed travel utilizing atoms of Plastro-Beryllium to shrink and drive craft to their destinations with unparalled rapidity.

  Flower Cult Woman: A highly decorated or well-placed officer of the CULT OF THE FLOWERS developed under the Second Matriarchy.

  G-class star: Yellow to pale orange in color, second or third generation in age, numbers 35 through 38 on the Universal Star Chart in size and density; abundant in certain arms of the galaxy, such as the CENTER WORLDS and ORION SPUR; generally found alone or in duos or trios with E- and/or J-class stars. Most planets deemed habitable by the Three Species were originally found in systems revolving around single or multiple G-class stars, as they are most often found with a mixture of B-CLASS and M-CLASS PLANETS.

  gen. alt.: Genetically altered; usually referring to small domestic animals that are chromosomally altered before birth for primitive speech, comprehension, and other kinds of intelligence, up to certain limits, to make the “pet” closer to its “owner.” The term has come to include any extensive genetic manipulation within or between species.

  gratitude: Spoken courtesy of thanks.

  Great Homogenization: Referring to the decision of the Fifth Matriarchy to remove skin color and other physical differences among HUMES by genetically altering all preborns to have no extraordinary, previously “racial” distinguishing features. Most Humes have brown hair, brown eyes, and skin color similar to the shade café au lait.

  gyne-group: Type of socialization group in third-stage ED. & DEV.; characterized by HUME males pairing up with each other or with females.

  gyno: A young male past third-stage ED. & DEV. on his own. Such males (aged 40 to 100) associate in groups of no fewer than two at a time for all public appearances. This is for self-protection against predatory HUME females and further socialization, as gynos are considered to be highly desirable by some females.

  Hesperia: Also known as the City on a Star, Hesperia was built around the long-dead core of an orange first-generation star gone supernova. The name may also refer to the City’s vast holdings elsewhere, virtually a counterempire to the MC, especially in resort worlds. It is considered to be one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Galaxy.

  holo-comm.: Three-dimensional video-imaged communication; usually INTER. GAL. COMM.S, although more local calls are also holo-comm.ed on earlier inhabited METRO.-TERRAN planets, such as those in the ORION SPUR.

  Hume: The word human minus the word man; term adopted by the First Matriarchy for one of the Three Species.

  Inter. Gal. Comm.: “Instant,” or at least very fast, intergalactic communication made possible by the use of Plastro-Beryllium; requires booths containing “activated Beryllium” at both ends.

  Intervening Systems Period: Also known as the “Interregnum.” Following the collapse of the First Matriarchy under the misguided dictatorial policies of Wicca Third in 2755 STY, a group of Star-Barons and other METRO.-TERRAN leaders, as well as DELPHINIDS and BELLA=ARTH.S, convened to declare a “galactic republic” that lasted forty years SOL RAD. Doomed from the start by its unwieldy size, inefficiently run government and inability to remain in contact with or quickly reach distant systems and planets, the Interregnum collapsed following the disaster of Vega 31, to be replaced by a period of political and economic chaos until 2803, when Anthea Paavo Chung publicly took control of the IS Senate and declared Herself ruler, issuing in the Second Matriarchy.

  ion-bath: Commonly used method of physical cleaning and massage.

  iso-screen: Composed of various infinitely fractaled silicates, this lightweight, flexible, opaque, perfectly mirrored object can be pulled out of a wall, table, desk, or even wrist connection to provide a cell completely closed to any unwanted outside stimuli. With Plastro-Beryllium alloys added in, iso-screens can be used as “invisibility” shields against all but the most powerful weapons.

  JoHanna: Slang term meaning “everything is fine”; refers to Fourth Matriarchy best-known PVN hostess, JoHanna Gyiot Robinson of Eudora, known for her effervescent personality.

  Maudlin Se’ers: A religious sect with roots deep in METRO.-TERRA; a rare religion with influence in the Matriarchy, due to its extraordinary leaders and their well-known “martyrdoms”; divided into three types: lay, or “Teaching Se’ers”; secular, or “Landscape Se’ers”; and proselytizing, or “Preaching Se’ers.” This sect is also known as the Church of Algol because the BELLA=ARTH.S of Algol Epsilon III welcomed Se’ers after they were proscribed by Wicca Fifth.

  Maxwell 4500: An early First Matriarchy sentient-intelligent Cyber, chosen because of its “flexibility” to be the guide in the program of SEEDED WORLDS.

  MC: The Matriarchal Council; 1,000-strong, bicameral, elected, counsel of the Matriarch and Her cabinet.

  MC Councilor: An elected (at times appointed) civil servant of great power and ability serving in a specific geographical territory or area of expertise; directly under control of the MC and beholden to the Matriarch Herself.

  M-class planet: A rock-mantled world, with or without water, with or without surface tectonic activity, surrounded by fewer than ten satellites, usually found around G-CLASS STARS; some tinier than M-class satellites; terra-formed to be inhabitable.

  Melisande: Also called WICCA WORLD; named after the Matriarchal leader’s honorary appelation of Wicca. An M-CLASS PLANET, it has been capitol of the MC since the early days of the Second Matriarchy. It was an “asylum” during the Bella=Arth. War, and terra-formed 2763 STY by Halloran Califo of the INTERVENING SYSTEMS PER
IOD. Part of a thirteen-planet C-class star, it was left alone after a “nova-blow.” Melisande circles a white dwarf or neutron star.

  Mer: Formal address to any female HUME, DELPHINID, or fully grown BELLA=ARTHROPOD.

  Metro.-Terra: Short for the “Metropolitan Area of Terra, Its Satellites, Outer Planets, Their Satellites, and Nearby Star Systems within Forty Light-Years Distance”; the earliest known official precinct of HUMES during the early Space Age, to about 2355 STY, and thus precursor for all “metropolitan” or “urban” conglomerations thereafter; used mostly to represent antiquity and/or quaintness.

  Metro.-Terran: Of or related to METRO.-TERRA.

  motherless: An imprecation or curse. If one of the worst things you can say about another in the Matriarchy is that she is incapable of conception—i.e., CHILDLESS—another equally bad thing you can say is that someone is without a mother.

  Mothers for Peace & Equality: Early METRO.-TERRAN women who joined together to stop the egregious exploitation of the Star-Barons. In the unexpected power vacuum at the end of the Bella=Arth. War and TREATY OF FORMALHAUT, they seized power and reformed the Federation Council into the Matriarchal Council, installing one member as Wicca First.

  neonate: A member of the Three Species less than twenty-five years old; an infant or child.

  New Venice: Capitol city of the DELPHINID species’ dominion, located on Procyon V, a water world. Because of its great age, uniqueness, and beauty, New Venice is considered one of the Seven Hundred Wonders of the Galaxy.

  Oppos.: Short for “Oppositionists to the MC”; a political movement begun at the Emily Dickinson University by Mart Kell and other predominantly male insurgents, questioning the PAX MATERNICA.

  Orion Spur: Apparent protrusion of the Sagittarius Arm of the galaxy forming its own subarm, measuring 3,500 by 6,000 light-years, and containing an unusually high percentage of G-CLASS STARS and M-CLASS PLANETS. One of the earliest HUME and ARTH. settled areas of the galaxy, it is the site of ancient METRO.-TERRA, and it is generally believed that the Hume homeworld is among the multitude of solar systems.