Under a Starless Sky novel Chapter 63

The Dragon was large and described a full circle, eating its own tail. The largest gate was easily 50 feet in diameter. The dial home device was in the center of the Dragon, unreachable without going through one of the gates. They stood, wearily considering the structure. The dial home device, if that’s what it was, held all 64 stones. They were arranged in a particular way that suggested family groups. One quadrant, a four by four grid of sixty four stones contained writing that reminded Shen of an arrangement of Fermions, but only because three had large V-letter couple with the smaller symbol for electron, muon, and tau. Inside the dragon perimeter, the floor was comprised hexagon tiles; outside dragon body penetrated earth. Hexagons appeared to be gold and silver.

“It’s a trap,” Shen said. Of course, no one got his reference or that he was going for humans.

“Maybe,” Torny said. “Or a puzzle.”

“It’s a trap. But a very specific kind of trap. Why would anyone make such a large gate?” Erico asked.

“Aesthetics,” Arne said.

“Giant heads,” Erico complained. “Giant gates.”

“Don’t say it,” Orton said.

“Lights on!” Erico said. “Why else would there be stories of vores if they didn’t exist?”

“Because men fantasize of being eaten,” Yaffa said.

“Eat me,” Orton said.

“Thank you for validating me,” Yaffa said. “But no.”

“There are more small gates than tall gates,” Torny said.

“Big enough for goats,” Arne said.

“Or hounds of war,” Uffe said.

“The big gate would pass a Kraken,” Orton said.

His peers scowled him into silence.

“Release the Kraken,” Shen said, dramatically.

They turned their anger to Shen.

“Do you want us all to die?” Yaffa asked.

“Be careful what you speak, brother,” Arne said. He turned back to the gate. “Words have power.”

“They do,” Shen agreed pointing. TL blocked his hand from touching the gate. “Not reaching, just pointing. Up, charm, top, down, strange, bottom, photon, gluon, weak force Z, weak force w, tau…”

“Yeah, I get it,” TL said. “It’s that, but not that. More like the flavors are mixed…”

“Your alchemy words make no sense,” Torny said.

“Mixing flavors, like peanut butter and chocolate,” Shen said. “Damn it, I want candy now.”

TL sang “I know a girl who's tough but sweet-She's so fine, she can't be beat-She's got everything that I desire-Sets the summer sun on fire.” And then she and Shen both sang the chorus, “I want candy.” Their friends looked at them strangely.

“Our humor is lost on our friends,” TL said.

“If I had done that, you would said I wasn’t funny,” Shen said.

“That’s because you’re the straight man, I am the comedian,” TL said.

“You’re Hawkeye and I am Burns?” Shen asked.

“Oh! You’re not Burns. You’re more like Trapper,” TL said.

“Is there a point to this dialogue?” Arne asked.

“Probably not,” TL said. “Shen, try some magic.”

Shen frowned at her. TL encouraged him with a kiss. He reached into his bag and pulled out a box of cracker-jack. He frowned and threw the box over his shoulder.

“Don’t litter,” TL corrected.

Orton recovered the box, curious. While he opened the box and smelled the contents, TL opened her hand and manifested a scout orb. They all stood back to let her do her magic. She piloted the orb through a gate. It went through an arch and came out the other side. Shen laughed. “That’s why you’re not getting a good scan.”

“Maybe,” TL said. She tried leaning left or right. “But the light diffraction from the inner chamber is perfect.”

“Is it an illusion?” Torny asked.

TL shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Maybe it won’t allow tech to go through, but people,” Shen said.

“I’ll go,” Orton said.

“No, you won’t,” Torny said.

“I am the most expendable. It should be me,” Orton said. He tried popcorn. “This is surprisingly good.”

“Jon, if you give them that crap, we’re going to have to provide toothbrushes,” TL said.

“I didn’t give it to him,” Shen said. He waved for the box back.

“No,” Orton said. “You discarded it. I claimed it.”

“I’ll go,” Jerica said. Torny frowned at her, but knew the truth of it. “If that’s a real place, I can go there while remaining here. No harm can come to me.”

“That last part is not true,” Torny said. “If this is a soul trap, a part of you would remain. Your origin body dies, you may find yourself here, or wherever the trap takes you. In the interim, your dreams could be wild and unconnected to your friends or this reality.”

“I would be okay. The mind may not multitask, but the soul can,” Jerica said.

“We don’t need this,” Arne said. “Let’s return to Calypso.”

“It’s the whole reason for our journey,” Jerica said. “This find makes up for all our losses. Our friends died. This makes that meaningful.”

“No,” Arne said. “Living makes their lives meaningful.”

“I’ll go,” Shen said.

Everyone looked at him. They appeared as annoyed with him as when he said release the Kraken.

“Stop trying to hog all the glory,” Arne said.

“It’s not glory. I want those stones,” Shen said.

“It’s not worth it,” TL said.

“The hell it isn’t. This land of the lost pylon kiosk might hold the keys to dial us home. I want to go home!” Shen said.

“What so damn urgent?” TL asked.

“I am young!” Shen said. “I am the same age as Loxy, as you. I want to grow old with you. I want more time with you.”

“You’re an idiot,” TL said. “You and Loxy work because of who you both are. The differences in your ages is why you work so well together. Had she found you at any earlier age, the couple you are would not be the same- if coupling took at all. Young men are crazy stupid, all hormones no brains. You at fifty is the perfect balance of multiple domains. Maybe the reason you’re angry all the time isn’t your past, but because you know you’re out of balance, and that knowledge of who you were and who you want to be and who you are at this moment is in conflict. You and Loxy are perfect because of the love you hold for each other, and that love is a reflection of who you were when you met. That’s why you entangled and that’s why you’re forever connected. You will get back to her, Jon. When the timing is right. You and she are eternal. Nothing can break that bond. So chill the fuck down and allow things to be. We are alright.”

Shen was speechless. No one wanted to volunteer insight into their dispute. Orton dumped the remainder of the box into his mouth, made a face at the paper wrapped prize that hit him in the face, threw that behind him, and then looked into the empty box and discarded that behind him.

“Stop littering!” TL snapped. “Carry that back to the ship.”

Uffe had already collected the paper wrapped surprise. Orton reached for it to take it back and Uffe pulled it away. “You discarded it. It’s mine.” He pointed to the box. “The goddess Loxy has spoken; no littering.”

“I’m in,” Jerica said.

They turned to find Jerica with them, and also on the inside of the circle of dragon. She had bifurcated, manifesting a spirit body that was as solid as her own. Bilocation, an attributes of saints and monks- an ability of Preston G Waycaster, Jedi Knight, and suddenly, out of nowhere- Luke Skywalker. She knelt down and touched the hexagon she was standing on. Her palm hovered.

“Teach me that,” Shen said.

“This can’t be taught,” Torny said. “It is a gift of maturity of spirit. Sometimes people do it without knowing, because who they are is so valuable, the world needs that person elsewhere. When they are called, their spirit goes but also remains. We are here to serve. That is it.”

TL patted Shen on the back. “You already do this,” TL said. “You and Loxy do this.”

“It’s real gold,” Jerica said, then hovered her hand over the silver. “Real silver.”

“Just one of those bricks would go a long way at home,” Erico said. “Hell, we could all have signature rings. We are the Pathfinders.”

“No, they may be a part of mechanism,” TL said.

“I am not here for gold,” Jerica assured her. She tapped the surrounding hexagon with her staff. “There is enough gold and diamonds in the world I don’t need to tear this artifact up to have some. I think it’s safe to shift to the next step.”

“Stay on the gold,” Shen said. They looked at him. “What? Follow the yellow brick road.”

Jerica’s eyes lingered on Shen for a moment before she commented. “You are a strange, short man with even queerer speech. Still, I love you. I will heed your advice.”

“Calling me queer was not the way to my heart,” Shen said.

“She meant strange,” TL said.

“Then she should have lead with Doctor,” Shen said.

“If I call you Doctor, you would bed me?” Jerica asked.

“Sure; as long as you don’t call me darlin’, darlin’,” Shen said. TL tried to hide her amusement. “What?”

Jerica took the gold path in, making her steps deliberate.

“I am confused,” Erico said. “You love him, but will help him go home to the other Loxy, who is like this Loxy, who also would help him leave… My head hurts.”

“This Loxy is like I am,” Jerica said. “I am there with you and here inside. And when you love, it is right to help someone go home. That it is it.”

Jerica arrived at the pedestal containing a full set of keys. She brought her hand over it, feeling the energy and flavor. It sparked tiny hairs of lightening that tickled her palm and caused her to withdraw her hand. Lightning struck, and she was gone from the inside. Thunder pounded the island. Her body outside collapsed. TL caught her, easer her to the floor.

Jerica opened her eyes and saw TL, Torny, and Yaffa staring down at her. TL and Torny were kneeling.

“You okay?” TL asked. TL realized both eyes were still blue. “Where are you?”

“You were right,” Jerica said. “It’s a trap.”

“Um, Sisters?” Yaffa said, calling their attention to an important detail.

They looked up to see the men were gone.