Aquari

by DD White

  * * *

  Hanson/Aquari woke to find Veldada fussing with his hair, trying to make it set down with some greasy hair product she had. The hair just resisted the weight of the oil and slowly aspired back to a straight up position. His hand grabbed Veldada’s hand, which held a hairbrush. He couldn’t begin to explain the multi-level atomizing effects from negative photons traveling backward in time, which had always been the side effect his presence had always had on dead bodies. The others in this Gulfang facility would be easier to explain anti-grav-atomization to.

  “I’m sorry my dear, I must stop your hand.

  While in this body the hair’s gonna stand.”

  Veldada said, “I just thought I could do something to it.

  Here, have the brush. I’ll just let you do it.” The hair bothered Veldada because it stood out like the unaccepted fact that this really wasn’t Hanson her life-long lover.

  Hanson/Aquari got up to fuss with his greasy hair in the mirror. Then he decided to use the shower in the bathroom to just wash the greasy hair product out.

  Veldada decided she would be more useful in the kitchen working on some breakfast for the two of them. She went to the refrigerator to get some turagalton that she had chopped up in order to fry at breakfast with some waff sausage. The Gulfang warehouse had a large garden behind it that the scientists found time to cultivate extensively. Gardening had been in the blood of most Uranians, and it helped a scientist to solve problems by getting out away from whatever scientific problem troubled them to just dig around in the dirt of a garden from time to time.

  A queasy feeling came over Veldada as she spooned the turagalton onto a skillet that warmed up on the cooking counter. It had been a nausea that seemed to have started last night. Although it had been a feeling unlike anything she had ever felt before in her life, she knew exactly what it had been. She finally formed an egg after all these years of Hanson and her trying. Any day now she would lay an egg that would then be incubated into her first child. She put her hand on her stomach and formed a tear before the nausea settled down. Then she returned to the turagalton. This child would be proof to her that Hanson was alive because this child would be born of Hanson’s seed, which is the life of Hanson.

  After breakfast, Rodenadan and some fellow astrophysicists came over to Hanson and Veldada’s room to discuss the nature of the universe with the mysterious cosmic being that inhabited Hanson’s dead body. That would be enough to run Veldada away from her boyfriend’s side as she left them to their science discussion, which acknowledged a part of this resurrected Hanson that Veldada preferred to be in denial of.

  Hanson/Aquari had been as inquisitive of their knowledge of the Universe as they were of him. Uranians had figured out by now that lots of stars in the sky were actually whole galaxies of stars, and that the universe expanded from what seemed to be an original point where everything must have exploded into existence. They were limited in knowledge of sub-atomic matter and what happened before the original ‘Big-Bang’ creation event. Uranians were pretty accurate in their estimation that the universe had been 127.1 billion years old.

  Rodenadan became tired of explaining to Aquari what they understood about the universe, and wanted to learn what Aquari knew. “Enough about us where our science went.

  What know you of this creation event?”

  Then Hanson/Aquari began to explain to the Uranians how the universe had been created. “Before billions of years of what you see

  along with nothing was infinity.

  When all was nothing, not even trying

  there was still that, which keeps saucers flying.

  The subatomic effect of nothing

  is space curvature, which did still take wing.

  In the depths of infinity began

  subatomic matter like grains of sand.

  Even with nothing and no resistance

  particles still come into existence.

  Add to that infinity and you see

  subatomic matter constantly be

  accumulating pressures also still

  of mass that makes gravity as they fill

  the nothing that existed long before

  the creation event came through the door.”

  Rodenadan was hearing what he came to hear and wanted more. “You describe creation as through a door.

  Please keep explaining. We want to know more.”

  Hanson/Aquari continued. “All was nothing,

  an empty cavity.

  Still something existed like gravity.

  Gravity produces a particle

  that’s subatomic and also fickle

  Through trillions, zillions, multiplied billions

  this continued on more zillion zillions.

  Subatomic mass accumulated

  Along with the gravity that made it,

  but they did not just build up at leisure

  squished together under their own pressure,

  particle mass grew with infinity

  to phantom matter singularity.

  The by-product of gravity outward

  explodes the subatomic like a sword

  into atomic matter out flowing

  with time and space still to this day growing.”

  Hanson/Aquari had given Rodenadan more than he could immediately digest. He had discussed the concept of black holes with Hanson/Aquari before, which happened to be just beyond Uranian astrophysics. He could grasp the math of a black hole creating a singularity with gravitational pressures. This subatomic matter Aquari spoke of happened because of the virtual particle effect that comprises the gravitational phenomenon, as well as particle exchanges that hold molecules together. Phantom matter exists out there mostly unaffected by the force of gravity, yet also it accumulates where gravitational pressures are pronounced as the by-product of the virtual particle phenomenon when a spontaneous virtual particle fails to disappear. Instead of gravity crushing these subatomic particles into a singularity it became the unimaginable pressures of an infinity of its natural accumulation that mostly created the event that created the universe. The phantom matter singularity explains how the mass created at the beginning of the universe escaped the gravitational pressures that should have collapsed it into the largest black hole ever. When the discussion of the creation of the universe became finally over, Rodenadan and his associates left thoroughly dazed by the theoretical physics Aquari had filled their heads with. It had been the kind of conversation Aquari had with terrestrial life, which often rapidly advanced that species of intelligent life.

  As the days went by, Hanson/Aquari continued to enlighten the rebel scientists about Aungtalli magic. Hanson/Aquari saved them years of artifact research by simply rummaging through the stockpiles of artifacts in the Gulfang warehouse, and telling the researchers all about what something was, and what it did. Veldada had laid an egg, and carried it everywhere she went in an egg purse strapped over her shoulder. It became her bond to the Hanson she still believed lived behind the Aquari he had become.

  Veldada carried her egg with her one day in an egg purse strapped over her shoulder as she went to the postal station to mail Ploabot the latest news. Curvfin had made her a flawless forged ID of Mrs. Jabeeb, an aunt who Veldada once heard Ploabot mention that she used to maintain the phony letters that concealed her identity. This had been much easier to pull off in the less autocratically obsessed politics of Gulfang. The Ministry of Science members who were there were not wanted for any crimes, but they knew they were targets for assassination by powerful beings behind the power structure of Uranian society. Everyone in the world wondered where they had disappeared to, but also knew they probably went into hiding for their own good.

  She looked for something in her Jabeeb mailbox from Ploabot, but nothing had showed up there that day. Then she mailed her letter to Ploabot, and left the building when her eyes suddenly recognized the long lost Eromot walking down the street.

&n
bsp; “Eromot? That’s you?! I’m running into?

  Where have you been? Tell me what you’ve been through.”

  It really had been Eromot who also appeared thrilled to see Veldada. “Veldada!? Oh, I can’t believe it’s you,

  are who I first see in Gulfang here too.

  I just got here, and left the train station.

  Now I see you out of the whole nation.”

  Veldada also became amazed by the coincidence. “I was just mailing a letter right here

  as someone from this place who lives quite near.

  This meeting is coincidence to me.

  You were not someone I thought I would see.

  I heard of Dogolas where you were seen

  escaping your murder. In news it’s been.”

  Eromot settled down from the surprise of this coincidence. He explained the untold story of his escape. “I too heard the news about my escape

  where that news ends till now I’ll fill the gape.

  I ran from the arrest scene. That you know.

  The motel lady I thought was a foe,

  who I really was she wanted to know.

  She was my best friend after she found out.

  She hid me saying I wasn’t about.

  She kept me safe so that I did remain.

  Then she even helped me get on the train.”

  Suddenly Veldada wanted to get Eromot back to their hideout so the others could hear this story. “I’ll take you to our headquarters my dear.

  All will be thrilled to find out you are here.”

  Veldada led Eromot to the rebel scientist hideout that Eromot in the first place had been on his way to with memorized directions. Soon Eromot became surrounded by old colleagues that were excited to have their old friend back with them. They treated Eromot’s broken collarbone with healing ointments and massage treatment, while Eromot told the crowd of his adventures. When it got to the part of Veldada bumping into Eromot as he got off the train, Thrandu became suspicious, and mentioned to Veldada, “Just another coincidence because

  of the destiny Aquari leads us.”

  It seemed even Thrandu now no longer believed Aquari to be a delusion. Veldada still believed her Hanson to be in there also. That became her religion. She carried their child with her in the purse strapped to her side as if it became the proof of that conviction.

  The Ministry scientists took Eromot to the warehouses of artifacts in order to meet Hanson/Aquari. Hanson/Aquari had just helped them get a molecular replication device working again. A quanta-nanocode technology over 50,000 Earth years old had been powered by the planet’s still functioning star-door electric grid. The molecular replication device could access a star-door’s phantom matter singularity in warp space in order to reproduce anything from nothing instantly. Different versions of molecular replication technologies were behind the mass-production of products by a star-door complex. Hanson/Aquari programmed it to produce what he called a communication processor node, which had become a hand-held variation on Hanson’s clunky personal computer invention. Aquari figured the communication processor node, coupled with a network protocol connecting all the individual nodes, would accelerate a democratic influence on the sociological evolution of the planet, which he had concluded by now had been suppressed by the Aungtalli who where a rival evolutionary branch-off species of these times.

  Scientists were trying to explain to Eromot the death/resurrection event, and how Hanson had changed since then, but Eromot still seemed ill prepared to deal with what he saw had happened to his friend. Eromot just couldn’t take his eyes off of Hanson’s ridiculous hair while he explained what had happened to him on his journey to Gulfang. Aquari searched Hanson’s memories for times spent with Eromot that he could use to put his friend at ease. Aquari then realized that it turned out, according to Hanson’s recorded memories, that they really were not ever very close.

  Eromot mentioned, while telling his story, that Morgamor had been a hearer of Beataphoriah when he had described the vehicle crash. Aquari then interrupted Eromot’s story. “He heard Beataphoriah in his mind?

  It’s Beataphoriah I’m here to find.”

  Eromot elaborated. “Morgamor’s mind was able to hear him

  when I injected his veins with serum.”

  Hanson/Aquari became intrigued. “If that will induce this then I by choice

  would take this injection to hear the voice.”

  This all happened very sudden, and Eromot had just arrived after a long journey. Eromot explained that he needed time to produce the serum, but then Handirlas just happened to know where some of Eromot’s serum had still been stored.

  Soon Hanson/Aquari had the loose sleeve of his shirt rolled up with a tourniquet wrapped around his biceps. Eromot held up the syringe to push out a bubble of air. As Hanson/Aquari anxiously waited, Eromot pushed the needle into Hanson/Aquari’s bulging bloodstream. After blood squirted into the serum as Eromot backed the syringe up, he then pushed his concoction into Hanson/Aquari’s vein. All eyes were on Hanson/Aquari as Eromot pulled away the needle.

  Hanson/Aquari sat back in the chair with his eyes closed to listen while chemicals swirled through his metabolism. The serum had been known to not be harmful to Uranian physiology. Uranian medicine often employed injecting a remedy right into a vein with a needle and syringe. This perhaps would look barbaric to Earthlings, but the effects of relief from a medication were immediate when administered that way. Hanson/Aquari sat silent with his eyes closed for an excruciatingly long time while other researchers observed the experiment.

  Eventually he said, “That serum sends the voice right in my ear.

  A dialect of your language I hear.

  Platform instructions it keeps repeating

  to teleport us right to its meeting.”

  Some in the group were asking Hanson/Aquari to describe the teleportation platform he talked about. “Describing that has already been done.

  I say in artifacts here you have one.”

  They all followed Hanson/Aquari who rummaged through the piles and piles of ancient relics that were actually highly advanced technologies. Many artifacts were still in good working order after 50,000 Earth years when Ministry archaeologists finally unearthed their well preserved tomb in the barren coaglium sands of the Southern Desert. The scientists converged on a familiar platform too low to the ground to be a table.

  “Here is that teleportation platform.

  They all have been made to a standard norm.”

  It had been big and heavy, and would not move when Hanson/Aquari pulled on it. Then he walked on top of it. “It’s intended that you stand …”

  Just then the platform sank a couple inches with a bad sounding crunch under the weight from Hanson/Aquari standing on the platform. He immediately got off the now crooked relic of a previous age. The standing portion that made the platform top unplugged from the base. The bottom part of the mechanism had evidently been damaged by time. The group therefore lifted the top off the teleportation platform. The top standing portion had been made to distribute the portal matrix information signal into a standard shape. The top still seemed perfectly well, but underneath 50,000 Earth-year-old circuitry of the signal receiving mechanism now turned to crunch up into mush and dust.

  “The bottom part we’ll need to rebuild it

  and make it the same so this top will fit.”

  Then Eromot decided to finally finish his story to Aquari. “I’d have told you as my story was done

  that I ran into those that have built one.”

  Eromot then explained about the hearers he had met through Oldo. It had been another fantastic coincidence on that day that they then learned of the hearers who had a platform bottom already built to specs, but no top, and they now had a good top, but no bottom. Little events leading toward an impending destiny seemed to just be falling into place that day. Synchronicity had been one of the age-old mysteries of Aquari.<
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  When they discussed delivering the top to the hearers Hanson/Aquari explained to Salmar how to do it with the saucer technology that they already had. The saucer equipment had the ability to create similar virtual particle fields around other objects in order to transport them alongside the saucer through a microwave beam connection. Virtual particle technology had been the essence of tractor beam technology.

  It wasn’t long before a few of them, along with Veldada who insisted on coming along when she got the news, were in the saucer flying back to Keshdesh from Gulfang to meet with the hearers. It had been quite a site for those that looked up since it also had a rectangular emerald teleportation platform top trailing along behind it in the sky. Soon they were too high to be seen, and only minutes away from Oldo’s farm. They didn’t go completely undetected however, and in Keshdesh, Volock had been notified of an object detected in the skies flying from Gulfang to Keshdesh. It could only be those saucer-flying scientists, and he became anxious to bring a victory to his master, and make up for recent failings.

  When the Ministry scientists first landed they found nobody around at Oldo’s farm. Then it became obvious to the hearers in hiding that it had been Eromot and his scientist friends who had landed in a flying saucer and not the Aungtalli that were out to persecute them. Suddenly lots of farmers started coming out of the woodwork as if from nowhere. Soon there were a bunch of them carrying the platform top to the barn where even more hearers were gathered. It seemed they all kept growing in number within the church-barn as the ancient emerald top became plugged into their recently constructed bottom. It was a miracle to the believers, and a perfect fit; the perfect confirmation that the voice they all heard was true for them all. The emerald material of the top lit up, and the platform hummed for a few seconds as the planet’s energy grid activated the newly created device. The emerald glow didn’t go out since the platform had been setup to be in a default mode that waited for a teleportation connection.

  Then Hanson/Aquari got up on the platform again. This time it held. “Now I could finish its waiting sequence

  if I set the star-door coordinates.”

  The leader of the hearers, Arnoediad, who had been crying as they fit the platform together, spoke up. “The rest of the legend will help my friend.

  We know the place where coordinates send

  a flash every night never degrading,

  at Vongolath the answer is waiting.”

  They then eventually decided that Oldo and Arnoediad would help carry the completed teleportation platform to the Altar of Saint Vongolath, a holy site popular with pilgrims of the Aungtalli faith to this day. Every night a flash of light still occurred, which some believers attributed to miraculous healing and miracles. The saucer with the platform alongside flew northeast toward Svervus near the southwest corner of the Northern Sea, where the old holy site of the Alter of Saint Vongolath had still been drawing nightly crowds.