Tag Archives: science fiction

36.5 \ 218

Posted on by under Greater Beyond

As Draig was guided to examine each viewpoint more carefully, he received internal estimates of each force brewing, its points of focus and the knowledge base directing it. The grips of power and chains of collapse. Most of this came in the form of wordless understanding, but the Dragon Mbarx also whispered.

…so much of this might is new… but what is new comes from the old. we know these workings, now. i know my part… the others know theirs. your shield of disharmony was elegantly woven… but we forged another frequency, and now we are present with the powers needed to remove you of yours…

Gaining knowledge of the forces in conflict also gave General Claymore awareness of how they would behave in the dismantling, and he stopped himself from considering the manner of imminent fatalities. These explosives were lit. The overview folded itself away from him, and he was approached again by the consciousness of Raev Sturlusson. Signalman? Draig was surprised by the moniker which floated into thought. That must be what they call him.

“You know that there’s next to no time. We have an escape hatch option. This wasn’t planned, and it’s never been done before. This is via the combined abilities of concerned parties who you have never met, but you are the one who has to tell your soldiers to save themselves. There’s no time for detailed explanation. The attack won’t wait. It’s for you to decide that it’s worth the risk to try to save as many as you can. If they do as you say… they’ll live. We don’t think they would have listened to us. There’s a good chance they’ll listen to you.”

“What do they need to do?”

“They need to link hands and touch the orbs that appear inside their windows.”

“Where are they going to go?”

“I don’t know. Somewhere.”

“I’ll tell them. How?”

A clean, glowing blue beam extended from Sturlusson’s point of awareness toward General Alisandre’s. “Connect. Then you can speak, and your voice will be sent into every vessel you just sighted.”

36.4 \ 218

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There was another human awareness present – something like him, but over there. Draig recognized signs of a similar role, placement, presence, intention. They were actually here, of all places outside of physical space.

Part of the friction boundary swirled open, allowing these two into each others’ space while remaining in their own elements. “Oh, it’s you. Raev Sturlusson.”

The gaze returned from the other side. “Oh. Hello. General Alisandre.” There was a beat, then tension exploded in grappling, between the raw force of one and the other. Claymore felt the surge within himself, but it was met immediately, simultaneously. The churning of fractal boundaries between their domains threatened to fracture the current cohesion, then subsided to a calmer writhing with no mutual injury. “That was fun, I guess. Interesting seeing you here. I am busy.” Sturlusson’s presence began to withdraw, then hesitated while seeming to be directed elsewhere. “If you wait… just a moment.”

General Claymore felt all the dimension behind and around him, wondering how time worked here. Dreams could happen in the minutes before waking, but this wasn’t a dream. Not facile yet in the thought-voice, he decided not to exert unless strictly required. This was probably worth it.

“Since you’re here. Some of my associates had the bravado of giving you a glimpse of what is occurring. That was not a future-telling, this is happening right now. There may be more to this than your curiosity, maybe this: others among us feel it would be better for fewer people to have to die. Your presence affords us a unique opportunity, which some are discussing, very quickly, right now.”

Draig stayed put. The tension between their dynamically balanced forces felt less like arm wrestling and more like handshaking in this moment.

“Mbarx would like to inform you further so you can understand the matter more fully, in case you should like to exercise your role.” General Alisandre had recognized their sightings immediately: the five largest Alpha Station bases with fleet mobilizations.

36.3 \ 218

Posted on by under Greater Beyond

He sensed as far as he could along the Viridian network. Blended strains of music were the subtle matter trod by his awareness, a solidity of spun fiber. Distance was only a matter of perspective, and range was a factor of will. This is an aspect of space to Dragons, though of course this wasn’t physical space. Humans are not usually able to experience the dragonroads as travelers. Their usual interaction is from within formulas of physics.

Draig Claymore found the frontier, an obvious roiling edge. There was nothing between things – there was this, and then beyond it there was that. That was something very like this, but different in mood and substance. That, over there, was billowing and hotly active against flowing tension. He sent his eye to face it directly, and it spoke directly to him.

you thought we
need never be
seen again

These were Dragon voices too, creaking with unfamiliarity yet sizzling with renewed vigor. Ulphos, Magneu… who else could he hear? General Claymore had taken the trouble to learn their names. They traded off and spoke the same words. They’d been alone together for a long time.

we had no
visitors
no seekers for
too long
the old hunger
calling for
its rightful due
we will
find it
we will
take it
where you
keep it
in your home
we want
what is ours

The General reached out to set senses upon the threads of matter in this opposing force, and they parted to allow a clear glimpse – like curtains revealing a battle table, composed of real images as seen through real eyes. This force that seemed so distant, at bay along the far edge, had created its own vantages. They were staring directly at strategic payload.

36.2 \ 218

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With a thrill, Draig realized that these were Dragon voices, a greater number than he’d ever heard in one place. It could be that he was hearing them in more complete translation, as their speech possessed additional textures of expression. He could understand various meanings, without knowing exactly which words originated them. Abnormalities of lattice observation; visibility reports; strategy, structure, formation, and response from different corners of the Pan-Galactic Imperium. The General recognized these matters, could place a voice or two, and understood what was going on. He’d connected to the Viridian Phasing, by some actualization of his part in the draconid defense network that he helped form. Possibly, it had been catalyzed by the trauma in the dream of his great-grandfather. He was connected now as a dragon might be while in activation, through some human process instead, probably only by way of the deep connection forged by his involvement in its inception.

Draig took a breath to speak with his mouth, but that gave him a foolish feeling. Instead, he tried thinking to the others in clear speaking sentences, phrased in the sound of his own voice. “Hello, this is General Draig Claymore of Alisandre. Can you hear me?”

Attention turned toward him, with surprised exclamations of nonhuman personality. “Well, I wasn’t expecting this – though it isn’t entirely unexpected. You met enough of us in the seeking, and your unique role in the teamwork would afford you possibility of this access. There must be some dire need, because human minds are not inclined toward these folds of perception.”

“A need felt, perhaps, though not logically known or grasped… yet.” Claymore opened one eye hesitantly, and then the next. He could see his darkened bedroom, while also still observing the cosmic flow of their dimensional lattice. He also noticed disruption phenomena swirling in the air around his head. He did not know that Arkuda had also seen this same thing on the person of Raev Sturlusson while he’d been in capture. The General closed his eyes again to keep this simple.

36.1 \ 218

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This is a dream, but everything in it feels real. He sees it from outside himself, but it’s happening to him. He is his great-grandfather, and he knows he’s heard this story, but right now it’s real. He’s hurrying somewhere carrying a child and a wooden box in his arms. The child is not his own, but the box is. The box contains a gun when he looks inside, but in real life the box was empty. He knows that what’s happening was going to happen. He could have stopped it, but he didn’t. Now he’s running, really feeling like he should have done something.

Draig wakes up in the high alarm of adrenaline rush. He hovered in liminality as he lay in his bed. He fell into and out of time-stretched scenes of panic, flames, and infuriation. Instead of subsiding, they increased in volume. There was a sudden feeling of something ripping open between his eyes, like a knife through canvas. With his eyes squeezed shut, he felt the tear open audibly further until he thought his eyes were open again, but he was looking at something he’d never seen before. He could hear people. They weren’t near and they weren’t far, they were either, along an interwoven organic lattice of dark-against-dark lines, so dark they were almost bright.