Parallel Worlds- Equilibrium in Threat

by A I Zlato

  Aenea travelled through Space O., looking for an explanation, knowing that the how was perhaps less important than the why. There was nothing... the thick frame of the Machine testified to the disappearance of the hybrid, but there had been no search. The disappearance of a single individual was not important enough to justify a mobilization of resources to seek an explanation... The Machine of Space O. was again mute. If the information existed somewhere, Aenea had no access to it. Was the same entity that had prevented the Gateway from seeing the accelerated hybrid program now hiding the reasons for the transfer?

  Aenea turned to Deo to follow this hybrid defector. The boy wore his second skin on his hands and part of his forearms. He was indeed an old-generation hybrid with no trace of recent surgery. Had he been spared the operation because of a disability the Gateway could not see, or had he fled, helped by something or someone? It was more likely that he had been chosen by the force that had transferred him, taking advantage of Aenea’s absence... a powerful force. The latter had managed another achievement. While crossing time, the young man had not lost his artificial skin. When Aenea had transferred the earliest hybrids through the Interspace, the latter had only transferred the organic body, rejecting the electronics. The person or the thing that sent the hybrid in Space H. had made sure that the microprocessors stayed on the boy’s body. It was a deliberate act, which, therefore, had to serve a purpose.

  Aenea continued her observation.

  A kandron had contacted this hybrid... so he was important for the objectives of the Spirit of the Multitude. Without knowing them fully, she knew that kandrons wanted to save their space and, therefore, a part of her world. They were allies in the fight she was leading and had an excellent understanding of the world and the different forces at work. She had nothing to fear from them. The critical thing was the mystery surrounding the transfer of this hybrid into Space H., and that puzzled the Gateway, as well as all implications. Her questions were only raising other questions...

  Aenea finally asked Deo about what the latter had experienced. Whether it also had been afraid, whether it had taken advantage of the Gateway’s departure to do something she would have forbidden were she present. Deo had revealed itself again to humans, the same it had previously previewed. Worse, it had made contact with the girl. It liked her imperious desire for freedom, her iconoclastic side and her intelligence. To Deo, this teenager was unusual. It showed her the inner part of the forest, and made her peek, through Beor, into the ocean.

  Deo even whispered of Circle Zero — that ancient place... when the ancestors were not yet called Elders... immemorial time... the origins... Far from being frightened in relation to this unknown, Iris had let Deo act. So it decided to take her up to the hybrid. She was able to get answers that did not exist yet. Through Deo, Aenea saw Iris approach a kandron, experience its inverse linearity, then converse with the hybrid.

  The phalomera did not try to justify its act. Through its memories, Aenea saw how Iris had touched the phalomera in that moment of great fragility. It had found in her candor, rage, joy, love. All those raw emotions had supported it as it was helping Cae. The girl had just been there, giving it what it needed. What would be the consequences? The implications of the temporary node, the chain in events... Aenea saw her world as domino spirals nested into one another. A break at a specific location, and everything could fall apart. How was it possible to know what was important or not? How could what kandrons had seen be avoided?

  The Space E. to alter... temporary nodes... hybrids... the children dying... the defector... Deo contacting Iris... discussing with the hybrid...

  Aenea did not understand how she could alter a space she should not have seen... Space E... She had discovered what E contained — the duality of the name and the letter. With such a name, she had to contact the machines. One or the other? One and the other? At the same time? Both artificial entities had the space’s name in common. The two had, therefore, to be contacted together so she could compare their answers — the Machine of Space H., which had told her about the Master Equilibrium, and that of Space O., wherein the hybrids were becoming less and less human.

  She extended her arms and grabbed with her fingers the two artificial layers in each of the spaces. Her human hand, less clever, slipped into Space O., in the thick frame that could not shirk it. With her other hand, Aenea touched the other frame, which twitched at the contact.

  “Connection request received. What is your question?” both machines replied.

  “How do I alter the space generating temporary nodes?”

  “Definition: temporary equal not permanent,” they said within a millisecond of each other.

  “That has already been said. The temporary nodes are

  only the consequence of a space that is disrupting the Equilibrium.”

  “No, the Equilibrium is the master.” The answer radiated Aenea’s fingers with incredible power. The digital data ascended along the veins of its arms, bursting in its brain.

  “I want to know how to alter Space E.”

  “The Equilibrium is master. The temporary nodes are nothing but temporary discomforts,” said the Machine of Space H.

  “The Gateways’ node is a bond; an identical location in a different time. The time is the same for the Equilibrium. Bonds are, therefore, different places,” said the Machine of Space O.

  “But what will occur afterwards?”

  “The Equilibrium,” they both said.

  “OK, but how will the spaces be?”

  “They will no longer be disrupted,” said the Machine of Space H.

  “The Equilibrium will be extended,” said the Machine of Space O.

  “If, after the temporary nodes, there is the Equilibrium, Space E. ...”

  “The Equilibrium is master,” they said jointly.

  That seemed to be their answer to everything...

  The machines had responded almost identically...

  They must, therefore, have had similar entries in their programs, so the porosity between the two spaces was confirmed. Alternatively, a higher entity was controlling them both; hiding information from both machines but also Gateways. Something was making everything possible for Aenea to discover the consequences of temporary nodes in spaces as late as possible; an entity commanding the machines... it was necessarily digital.

  It had to warn kandrons and contact a Level 4 gateway.

  Linear time is the same as cyclical time; it is a human interpretation, which has no basis. Yet this concept determines their lives.

  The Space-Time

  CHAPTER 43

  PRE-E.S. ERA

  5th Hexa was in good spirits. Paul finally began to understand. He had seen the Elders’ dream. He understood the importance of the circle and the non-development that it had involved. Finally, his premonitory dreams, indicating a horrible future, pointed him in the right direction. It was time.

  The kandron flew over the city, noticing here and there changes in the porosity of spaces. Some incongruous plants, damaged buildings, the hybrid... and now winds — some icy, others hot — that were circulating at altitude, independent of the weather of this space. Stormy frictions of air masses rang in its ears.

  Humans, focused on child suicides, were seeing nothing; not yet.

  It heard a rustling in the leaves. The Unique Forest was calling the Spirit of the Multitude. It hastened to leave the sky; to land on the ground in order to respond. It wanted to be the first one to speak to the Gateway. The latter was an indispensable element in its plan.

  “The Unique Forest broadcast your call, and here I am. I am the fifth element of the Hexagon. What about you? What is your quintessence?”

  “I am the product of a Level 2 Interspace between Space H., in which you live, and Space O.,” said Aenea.

  “When?”

  “Time is not the best in any place.”

  “Is Space O. far?”

  “No.”

  The porosity of spaces... of course.
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  “I am aware of a digital entity that controls the machines,” the Gateway replied.

  “The Tetrahedron sees only the one in Space H. It is not about digital entities we know otherwise; it is something else that is much more powerful.”

  “Machines do not realize it.”

  “Here the Machine does not know it no longer has control. For the rest, nothing is certain.”

  “Is this the source of Space E.?”

  “I cannot access it; I see only the echoes. It is only the tool of a powerful force; a concept that locks everything. I don’t know what that entity wants. We have neglected it the last time; we will not make that mistake again.”

  “Can the Spirit of the Multitude reach it?”

  “No, but other digital entities can.”

  “5th Hexa, what are they?”

  “He who created them called them guardians. In this time and in this space, they are Servants. Inactive until now, they have acted.”

  The Gateway paused a bit. She was silent for a moment, and 5th Hexa believed it perceived an exchange between her and the point.

  “Against the digital entity?” the Gateway continued.

  “They wanted to get its attention, and they succeeded. The Heptagon knows.”

  “Can they prevent the future I foresee and the past you saw?”

  “The way they will choose failed last time; however, the equilibria are changing... I prefer another solution.”

  “Altering Space E...”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I have to get some answers before.”

  “You said it in our last conversation. Have you contacted a machine?”

  “Yes... and I ended up seeing the digital entity, but this is not enough.”

  “Do you know who can help you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Time and gravity...”

  “It’s the same concept. Space and gravity, yes.”

  “You start to alter...”

  5th Hexa felt its heart leap in its chest, reflecting the hope that was invading its body.

  “I hope you will succeed,” the kandron said.

  “I want to live just like you. I will do what it takes.”

  The connection was broken, and 5th Hexa returned to its body, which lay near an abandoned factory. The latter was located in an area that had been a circle in the past of humans. An explosion of chemicals killed and injured many people. Survivors had serious physical and psychological bruises, making them unsuitable for any activity. They all died in the year that followed. Trauma in the population had been so significant that the Machine had decided to abandon this place, because no one wanted to go there. This parcel of ghost circle, forgotten by all, was in ruins, hidden by a wall that no one crossed, except the kandron. It was a great place to link its consciousness to the forest.

  The Gateway now knew about Servants. She did not seem very surprised at this announcement, as if she had already guessed... strange.

  5th Hexa knew they had been created to perpetuate the vision of a minority of Elders intended to prevent abuses of the Machine. Although it had not paid attention to them until now, it was now aware that Servants had a role to play; not because they came under the Machine’s surveillance program, but because the Gateway thought they might be valuable. Equilibria were changing... the future was becoming uncertain finally, from its point of view. It needed to know now whether Servants would go in its direction or not. It was not impossible that their solution would be in conflict with its own. It decided to go into the mountains to find the Heptagon. This structure, which was interested in Servants, lived there, and in this desolate landscape, swept with icy winds. The structure might have some answers.

  5th Hexa recalled that during the last meeting, the Heptagon suggested they contact Servants to help them find lost memories. The Spirit of the Multitude refused...

  Had the Heptagon complied with the collective decision? Nothing was less certain. The era favored the emergence of initiatives among kandrons. The nearing chaos, certainly...

  It flew and landed in the frozen heights. In the cold, legs sunk into the layer of hardened snow, and watched the horizon. All around it, the snow-capped mountains, still white ghosts, stood out against the gray sky. Before the kandron, the city in the rain was a small pileof multicolored buildings. Behind it and to the west of the city was the Unique Forest, a dark-green expanse that stretched to the horizon. In addition, a slight flicker that 5th Hexa sensed rather than saw indicated the lake.

  On the side of a mountain, it saw 7th Hepta alone. The latter turned its head, as if waiting for Edgard’s arrival, and greeted it. 7th Hepta began to speak without waiting for 5th Hexa to formulate any questions.

  Servants... their creator had programmed fake beliefs in them to deceive humans of the city and especially the Machine about their true nature — a mystical language, an illusion of the four elements and some obscure allusions created an illusion of humanity. They were said to dwell in Circle Zero... the circle of the origins, thus they were not lying, but remained vague enough for only insiders to understand. 5th Hexa knew the extraordinary intelligence of their Maker, but it was amazed while listening to these revelations. Data simulating false beliefs... that was absolutely brilliant.

  7th Hepta waited for 5th Hexa to cast its attention back onto the conversation before continuing. Until recently, Servants had stayed away from the city. They did not need to intervene. They sometimes travelled in circles, slipping like shadows. They had chosen isolation, because nothing required their intervention. That day, with the approach of the likely destruction of the space, they had acted according to their programming. 5th Hexa was there to discover their plans, with the help of the Heptagon.

  7th Hepta got closer to 5th Hexa with two wing beats. An unpleasant crunching of claws on the hard ground was heard. The former was tall, even for a kandron. With its yellow-green skin, its gigantic body contrasted with the surrounding white. Its white breath crossed the crystalline air, making 5th Hexa’s eyes blink. Standing before Edgard, 7th Hepta suggested that Edgard follow it. It forced its feet to clear shackles of ice and snow around them. Edgard walked heavily after 7th Hepta, which moved without difficulty. Edgard was not used to moving on hardened, slippery and brittle snow. It landed its paws carefully, forcing 7th Hepta to stop frequently and wait. They walked an hour in silence, skirting the mountain on its east side. Their claws were screaming ice, with each of their steps, and the noise echoed against the mountains. 5th Hexa vaguely wondered why they were walking rather than flying, but it dared not explicitly formulate the question. They reached a snowy col, stuck between two peaks that hid sunlight permanently. The ice had to be several meters thick, and was covered with a thick soft carpet of snow. 5th Hexa took one more step, more assured this time, until it reached 7th Hepta, which sat nearby a mound. Panting, Edgard stopped before 7th Hepta. It then realized that the mound was opening at its base into the entrance of a cave. An oblong opening 3¼ feet in height loomed; a dark stain on the snow. 7th Hepta invited it to enter. Afraid of getting stuck because of its size, 5th Hexa only stretched its neck into the dark. Its eyes gradually were accustomed to the darkness, and it managed to distinguish the outlines of the cave. Then it noticed the rock walls, crystal glittering fragments. Drawing their light from an unknown source, crystals illuminated the darkness. Brightness was low, but it was able to observe its environment in more detail. There was a tunnel cut into the rock, as demonstrated by the straight marks on the walls. The ground was littered with metal debris, dating back thousands of years... human production... there was no doubt. 7th Hepta answered its question before it had time to develop fully. Servants... they lived here, hidden in the bowels of the mountain. Circle Zero... where it all began... 5th Hexa realized it was staring at debris stemming from the Elders. Scattered there were some pieces of scrap, which had been part of a larger structure, screens and electronic cards that lay in no apparent order. Debris had gathered along the walls, l
eaving a path that ran from the entrance of the cave and moved away toward the bottom. Following the narrow access, it saw the first steps of a staircase leading down. The lair of Servants... Why had 7th Hepta wanted to show it this place?

  “Come in! You will understand,” said the latter.

  “I’m too big!”

  “It is just an optical illusion. I have already taken this entrance, and I went down the stairs. Your turn now.”

  “Why? Show me your memories and... wait. How is it that I have never heard of this place before?”

  “You’re not the only one; much less the first one to hide things from the Spirit of the Multitude. Only, unlike you, I have always acted in conjunction with the Heptagon. Together, we were able to erase our tracks.”

  “I was...”

  “Stupid, yes.”

  “Well... you could still show me the memories.”

  “No. They must stay in the Heptagon to be preserved from the Spirit. Youhave to get off and move.”

  “What will I find?”

  “An answer for your human... questions for kandrons... another way or the confirmation of what you are... and perhaps more. That will depend on you. At the bottom of the stairs, you will find two tunnels. The one in front of you leads to the Servants’ energy-recharging place, and you will not be welcome there. Take the the right tunnel; the darker one. That is what you must see.”

  “Why me? Why not show it to another kandron?” “Who told you I have not already done that?”

  5th Hexa almost wanted to reply, but 7th Hepta continued.

  “There is no time for questions. Go ahead.”

  With difficulty, it went through the opening. It squirmed, moving inch by inch, the rock scraping its body. Finally, it spotted the tunnel and recognized the accuracy of 7th Hepta’s remarks. The corridor was larger than it had imagined. It followed the path, taking care not to trample on the metal relics that might crumble to dust at the slightest touch. It slowly walked to the stairs. The rock oozed moisture that made it slippery. Carefully, it walked down the steps, bending its neck as much as possible. Its tail hung out with 15 steps behind, forcing it to bend in order to follow the winding stairs around a central axis. Downstairs, it found the corridors of which 7th Hepta had spoken. In front of it, it heard noises, evidence of the presence of individuals. Brighter, this corridor was more welcoming than the other in which 7th Hepta wanted it to engage. Walking softly to avoid disturbing Servants, it swerved and plunged into the darkness. As in the cave above, crystals dotted the walls, providing just enough light for Edgard to see where it put its paws.