The Intrepid Three, page 8
Lumen were loyal to a fault. There was no defecting or deserting, no matter the cost. A few dozen of the radiant beings watched as the second child of the day entered Animus. They looked to one another, acknowledging the importance of their devotion to Author and the text. Now more than ever, in the beginning of the end, the Lumen recognized their critical supporting role in restoring the world.
Low and slow notes began to flow from a Lumen standing guard at one of the loci. As each beacon heard the call, the next in line would join the response. The message was passed along. Every third Lumen stepped forward to begin to make a vast perimeter around Walter and Author. The boy was here, and the Murk were approaching. It was time to sacrifice it all.
13
ANIMUS MONDAY 6:04 P.M.
“Welp, this seems about right. This day just keeps getting weirder. Author, I haven’t known you long, but you continue to outdo yourself with twists,” Walter said, scratching his head. He did not expect to end up in a seemingly different world face-to-face with Author, although in retrospect, maybe he should have.
The smiling being responded, “Oh, I am only getting started. Life with me is anything but commonplace. Only a fool casts me as a boring dinosaur.”
For the first time, Walter took a moment to closely survey his surroundings. The first thing that caught the lost boy’s eyes were small technicolor lights crawling around his feet and excitedly buzzing passed his nose. Focusing on this rainbowed light show, Walter discovered these were none other than bioluminescent insects, known as embers. Walter looked for Author’s reaction and noticed the bugs fluttered around and landed on the calm presence’s dark-green combat jacket. Almost immediately upon touching down, the critters on the being began to simultaneously flash the same sequence of colors. Author appeared unphased by this display and focused on lightning strikes in the distance instead.
Tapping into his other senses, Walter breathed deep the cool air. There was a faint scent of peppermint and lemon. Bending down to touch the silky vegetation and velvety insects, thoughts of Stacey crept back into his mind. He knew none of her other suitors could top this breathtaking experience. The more Walter thought, though, the more he questioned who he actually wanted to share this moment with. The events of the day and his unfettered ease with Caroline pushed Stacey to the periphery.
Cutting in on Walter’s rumination, Author bluntly stated, “You are right to doubt her importance in your life. She is not worth the space you allow her in your mind.”
Frustrated by the unsolicited advice, Walter blurted, “Since you obviously know everything, just tell me what I’m doing here. No more riddles. No more games. I just want some answers.” Immediately, the adolescent was ashamed of his moodiness toward the writer of everything.
Sensing the tense situation, the embers cooled their colors and quickly flew away. “No need to feel bad. I’ve heard much worse. I understand the unraveling of your reality is maddening, but truth has a silly way of overwhelming your sensibilities. In the grand scheme of things, the hours of today have taken centuries for me to formulate. Believe me when I say, what you are waiting for is worth it. Please wait a little longer. We do not have our whole party here yet, although they should be close.”
Still regretful of his words to the humble deity, Walter thought before he spoke again. Choosing his next words with his emotions in check, he asked, “Who are we waiting for? More people like you? More people like me?”
“My boy, there is no one like me. I think you are beginning to learn that. We are waiting for the other protagonists. I have bound your futures together for the restoration of the world. The task is too great for any one of you alone,” Author said with solemn compassion.
Walter asked, “Is the world really so bad that it needs to be restored?” The sincerity with which the seventeen-year-old asked his question made him appear older and wiser.
“That is the answer you must all hear together. How about I tell you some stories while we wait? I do love to tell my stories. I think you will find these illuminating. Please take a seat.” Author paused and motioned for the guest to sit.
Before Walter’s eyes, the ground cover slowly grew into two lounge chairs facing each other. The teenager sunk into the plush leaves that formed the cushions. He placed his hands on the arm rests made of thick swirling vines. It was the most comfortable seat Walter had ever eased into.
Author began, “There once was a mother that had seven daughters. Each girl was unique and brought the mother much joy. One by one, the daughters became young women and moved away from their mother. The oldest daughter gained great power, but she held it over many people. The second daughter found many hardships, and she lived only to survive. The third daughter accumulated much wealth, but she kept it all for herself. The middle daughter neither thrived nor languished, and she lived a mediocre life. The fifth daughter was an influential speaker, but she used her voice only for her own advancement. The sixth daughter coveted all that others had, and she overlooked the good in her own life. The youngest daughter did not care for earthly ambitions like the others, and the world rejected her.”
Author continued, “Over the years, each of the daughters became like strangers to one another, and they forgot about their mother. The world became too much for them, and what was most important was forgotten. Ever still, the mother loved them all and tried to usher them home to her.”
The orator then posed a couple of questions. “Should the mother no longer love her children? Should the mother simply move on?”
Without waiting for a reply, Author began a second story. “There once was a man that traveled in darkness and desired a way to light his journey. He went from city to city searching for various forms of light to brighten his path. The smallest city provided the traveler with a matchbook, and the man saw a short distance in front of himself. The second city handed him a candle, and he carried the light with him. The third city gave the nomad an oil lantern, and he controlled the flame’s brilliance. The next city contributed a flare to the man, and others saw him coming from a great distance away. The fifth city donated a flashlight to the wanderer, and his light lasted for weeks. The sixth city presented the wayfarer with a solar light, and the man’s radiant source was renewed each day. The last city, the most advanced of all, handed the journeyman a bottled star, and he had light to the end of his days. Reflecting on his life, the man concluded that all the sources of light were spectacular, and he appreciated each one.”
The storyteller again asked rhetorical questions. “Is not each form of light special? Do they all not ward off darkness?”
Again, Author did not wait for an answer and continued with more tales. Walter listened intently and nodded along with minimal understanding. He hoped that the meaning of his host’s words would soon be revealed.
The chronicles of the planes were many, but there was one that shifted the course of humanity unlike any other. Long ago, the world was full of tranquility, harmony, and goodness. In Pax, the world was new. The days stretched forever, and night never fell. Paxians walked the knolls picking the life-sustaining vegetation. Lumen were born from the good acts of the Paxians and lived amongst them. Their melodious conversations filled the air with sweet music.
But with humans, there is always a desire for opposition, for distinction. The unraveling began with one small comment that was bred from the falsehood of self-importance. “I hate them.” In that moment, the first Murk was born. With wide eyes, the present Paxians watched as a dark form materialized in the air where the words still hung. The sky’s brilliance lowered as the first storm appeared in Pax above the Murk.
The obscure figure reflected the appearance of Kieran, the nidus of the evil words. The Paxians looked upon the obscured representation with intrigue. This would not be the last time Kieran conceived another wicked embodiment. In fact, Paxians would breed scores of Murk.
14
EUPORIA MONDAY 9:46 P.M.
The girls walked down the tunnel slope to The Core. The walls were adorned with large, rusted lanterns that flickered and lit spectacular murals. The massive, spray-painted scenes told the stories of the Forgotten. To anyone familiar with Euporia, they would imagine sorrowful chronicles of the underground inhabitants, but the tales were largely joyful. Dez barely slowed her tempo, but Arabella lagged behind, mesmerized by this subterranean world.
Arabella was particularly interested in a piece of sprayed art that depicted a crowd dancing underneath the stars. These stars were like nothing she had ever seen before. The lights were colorful, undulating, and centered above the people. The rest of the scene was jet-black, making the vivid celestial body the most prominent feature.
“Hey! Keep up. It’s a labyrinth down here. If you get lost, I won’t find you for days,” Dez shouted back. Arabella ran down the stairs carved into the bedrock of the tunnel, taking two at a time, to rejoin her awaiting guide. At the base of the steps was a large wooden sign that read The Forgotten Core: Always Open. Always Welcome.
The tunnel opened into a never-ending corridor lined with varying carts and booths. Every wall in sight was covered in the signature street art. Despite the late hour, the interconnecting hallways were bustling with people dressed in brightly colored and handmade attire. Interspersed were others dressed in the same drab uniform as Dez. These E-Corp employees moved quickly with their heads down, hoping not to be spotted by other colleagues. Despite the better quality of the black-market goods, the techies were ashamed to buy goods from the Forgotten.
To Arabella, there appeared to be no rhyme or reason to the placement of the vendors or their commodities. She fell behind again as she enjoyed the sights around her. The obvious tourist watched as one person bought a Forgotten-designed computer next to another that bought Forgotten-grown carrots. Euporians could find anything in The Market if they knew where to look.
Arabella easily found Dez dressed in her ripped uniform, walking through the sea of uniquely adorned individuals. Dez walked toward a booth with a sign stating Good Feels. Standing behind the plastic counter of the booth was a striking woman in her twenties. Her skin tone matched those painted on the muralled walls of the tunnel the teens had just descended. Even her hair appeared painted with the colors of the rainbow. Arabella had passed many people in this strange and exciting place, but no one quite this eccentric. She’d never felt further from the clean-cut Aurelia.
“Hey, stranger. Long time no see,” the beautiful woman behind the counter called out to Dez.
“Hey, Sophia. It has been a while. I’ve been working late recently. Gotta get my productivity numbers up,” Dez said with an eye roll.
“I’ve been telling you for years to just come join me down here. You could have a booth right next to mine. Life above is not all it’s cracked up to be. You know that. They are wasting your talents, but you could make a real difference down here,” Sophia said.
After hearing the hard truth, Dez responded defensively, “My parents would never make it without my health insurance through E-Corp and the medicines above. You know they both have Euporian Exhaustion. Life isn’t all good feels. You know that better than anyone else. You’ve never had more customers.”
Not wanting to remain a fly on the wall, Arabella interjected with her usual politeness. “Hi. I’m Arabella. Can you help me? I don’t have any emergency money that I can use to get home, but you can have this.” Arabella removed the beautiful Aurelian flag gold pin from her dress and laid it on the counter in front of Sophia.
Ignoring the payment, Sophia stated, “Of course, I can help you. I can help everyone as long as they search for me. You have found me, which is more than many people. Remember, though, it is one thing to find me, but it is another to accept my help. Many people seek me for the quick-fix pills, but I try to tell them that my words are the medicine they seek. Engaging in conversation with me and heeding my advice can guide seekers down the right path.”
She continued, “For instance, take Dez. She visits for the sake of her parents, but she does not receive help for herself. She is tied to the terrible conditions above ground because they are familiar, and she is unwilling to risk moving to The Core. If she did, Dez would be an unstoppable force.”
Shocked by the woman’s candor, Arabella asked, “Do you know where Aurelia is? Can you help me get back to my home?”
Smiling, Sophia responded, “I know all about Aurelia and Aurelians, Euporia and Euporians, and Immerxia and Immerxians. But no, I can’t get you back home. I can get you to somewhere better, or rather, to someone better, though.”
“There is nowhere better than Aurelia. I just want to go home,” Arabella replied almost tearfully.
At that moment, a gruff, bearded E-Corp employee pushed through the inquisitors to Sophia’s counter. “I heard from a friend that you sell happiness. It’s been a rough couple of days, really a rough couple of years.”
Sophia was oddly disappointed with the potential sale opportunity before her. She was more interested in giving wisdom than selling an emotional Band-Aid. The saleswoman began a canned disclaimer given to all first-time customers. “I can sell you artificial relief, but you must know the effect is temporary, and you may feel worse afterwards. I grow all the ingredients in my own garden and purify them in my lab. I do not use any illegal additives, and I can guarantee my products’ safety.”
Bored with her speech, the customer’s eyes glazed over as he peered right through Sophia. She persisted, “This is not true happiness; a pill can only do so much. Happiness only comes from giving up the pursuits of this world. If you would like, I can tell you more. My friend Dez here can assist as well. She’s much more capable than she looks.” Sophia gestured toward the disheveled girl with the torn sleeve.
Backing away from the conversation, Dez blurted, “Leave me out of this! I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with that woman getting better a couple months ago.”
The customer was all too happy to ignore Sophia’s suggestion. “Just sell me the pill so I can get out of this pit.”
Sophia searched through the dispensable pills for the requested medication. Under the clear counter, each pill was a different color and with a different small picture displayed on its coating. She reluctantly retrieved a small yellow pill with a smiley face printed on the surface. “E-Corp credits are no good down here, but what information can you offer me as payment? Knowledge is better than money.”
The downtrodden man sighed as he put his E-Corp wallet back in his E-Corp satchel. “I figured that would be the case.” Before contributing confidential information about his employer, the man looked around the bustling market for other colleagues. Seeing none nearby, he divulged, “I’m a tech in the civil engineering department. Partial plans came across my computer recently for a new factory above this place. It would require filling in the main tunnel entrance to support the massive foundation.”
“Thank you for this information,” Sophia stoically responded. She handed the man his purchased tablet. Without another word, and with the pill clutched tight in his fist, the man retreated into the crowd. “Usually, the information offered is not that helpful. I’ll have to spread the word. Now, back to what’s important,” she said, addressing the girls.
“Okay, Sophia. Stop playing games. We need your help,” Dez exclaimed.
“I know you do. It’s just that I’ve missed our fellowship. I know much of what you need to know, but I must send you to the one who knows far more than I do.”
Becoming impatient, Arabella questioned, “How do we find this person? I just want to go home.”
“Really, you already know them, even if you don’t know that you know them. You just do not know how to find them. Here’s how you do that. You must cross a locus to Animus. There are many loci, but each one takes you to a different location in Animus. Go to the edge of The Market. I have a hunch this locus will take you where you need to go.”
Looking straight at Arabella, Sophia added, “Something tells me you’ve already been to Animus. You will find a locus in the garden of wild blaze that separates The Market from nearby housing. The vegetation will be flashing, so you can’t miss the spot.”
“Locus? Blaze? Animus? This is weird even for you,” Dez joked in disbelief.
Even though Arabella was unfamiliar with the expansive underground community, she sprinted in the direction Sophia was pointing, leaving her valuable pin behind. She navigated through the maze of The Core as if her feet already knew the way. Dez ran after Arabella. Seemingly by luck, the outsider found the garden of blaze. The local did not catch up until the Aurelian was at the back of the garden, reaching toward linear strands of light suspended above the iridescent plants.
Dez grabbed hold of Arabella’s remaining hand in Euporia. Before Dez could stop her, she was pulled into another world.
Lux appeared at the entrance of The Market at the exact moment when Dez and Arabella began their downward climb. The stellar form hung close to the muralled walls, changing colors like a chameleon mimicking the art. Just in the periphery of the girls, Lux gave a quick flash of light above a particular painting.
Lux knew the prompt was successful when Arabella stopped next to the seminal work. The heavenly figure hovered just above the surface of the starry depiction of itself. Arabella only noticed the two-dimensional picture of Lux as the real Lux hid in plain sight. The cosmic body observed Arabella as she graciously admired the new concepts introduced to her unknowingly small world.
As the heroines traversed through The Core, Lux followed inconspicuously. While approaching Sophia’s booth, Lux sensed imminent danger. The ever-perceptive constellation discerned the Switcher at work in Euporia. Dozens of E-Corp security, more ominously known as the E-Corp Brigade, were headed to apprehend Dez. By now, E-Corp had detected her unauthorized use of their computer hardware.
Low and slow notes began to flow from a Lumen standing guard at one of the loci. As each beacon heard the call, the next in line would join the response. The message was passed along. Every third Lumen stepped forward to begin to make a vast perimeter around Walter and Author. The boy was here, and the Murk were approaching. It was time to sacrifice it all.
13
ANIMUS MONDAY 6:04 P.M.
“Welp, this seems about right. This day just keeps getting weirder. Author, I haven’t known you long, but you continue to outdo yourself with twists,” Walter said, scratching his head. He did not expect to end up in a seemingly different world face-to-face with Author, although in retrospect, maybe he should have.
The smiling being responded, “Oh, I am only getting started. Life with me is anything but commonplace. Only a fool casts me as a boring dinosaur.”
For the first time, Walter took a moment to closely survey his surroundings. The first thing that caught the lost boy’s eyes were small technicolor lights crawling around his feet and excitedly buzzing passed his nose. Focusing on this rainbowed light show, Walter discovered these were none other than bioluminescent insects, known as embers. Walter looked for Author’s reaction and noticed the bugs fluttered around and landed on the calm presence’s dark-green combat jacket. Almost immediately upon touching down, the critters on the being began to simultaneously flash the same sequence of colors. Author appeared unphased by this display and focused on lightning strikes in the distance instead.
Tapping into his other senses, Walter breathed deep the cool air. There was a faint scent of peppermint and lemon. Bending down to touch the silky vegetation and velvety insects, thoughts of Stacey crept back into his mind. He knew none of her other suitors could top this breathtaking experience. The more Walter thought, though, the more he questioned who he actually wanted to share this moment with. The events of the day and his unfettered ease with Caroline pushed Stacey to the periphery.
Cutting in on Walter’s rumination, Author bluntly stated, “You are right to doubt her importance in your life. She is not worth the space you allow her in your mind.”
Frustrated by the unsolicited advice, Walter blurted, “Since you obviously know everything, just tell me what I’m doing here. No more riddles. No more games. I just want some answers.” Immediately, the adolescent was ashamed of his moodiness toward the writer of everything.
Sensing the tense situation, the embers cooled their colors and quickly flew away. “No need to feel bad. I’ve heard much worse. I understand the unraveling of your reality is maddening, but truth has a silly way of overwhelming your sensibilities. In the grand scheme of things, the hours of today have taken centuries for me to formulate. Believe me when I say, what you are waiting for is worth it. Please wait a little longer. We do not have our whole party here yet, although they should be close.”
Still regretful of his words to the humble deity, Walter thought before he spoke again. Choosing his next words with his emotions in check, he asked, “Who are we waiting for? More people like you? More people like me?”
“My boy, there is no one like me. I think you are beginning to learn that. We are waiting for the other protagonists. I have bound your futures together for the restoration of the world. The task is too great for any one of you alone,” Author said with solemn compassion.
Walter asked, “Is the world really so bad that it needs to be restored?” The sincerity with which the seventeen-year-old asked his question made him appear older and wiser.
“That is the answer you must all hear together. How about I tell you some stories while we wait? I do love to tell my stories. I think you will find these illuminating. Please take a seat.” Author paused and motioned for the guest to sit.
Before Walter’s eyes, the ground cover slowly grew into two lounge chairs facing each other. The teenager sunk into the plush leaves that formed the cushions. He placed his hands on the arm rests made of thick swirling vines. It was the most comfortable seat Walter had ever eased into.
Author began, “There once was a mother that had seven daughters. Each girl was unique and brought the mother much joy. One by one, the daughters became young women and moved away from their mother. The oldest daughter gained great power, but she held it over many people. The second daughter found many hardships, and she lived only to survive. The third daughter accumulated much wealth, but she kept it all for herself. The middle daughter neither thrived nor languished, and she lived a mediocre life. The fifth daughter was an influential speaker, but she used her voice only for her own advancement. The sixth daughter coveted all that others had, and she overlooked the good in her own life. The youngest daughter did not care for earthly ambitions like the others, and the world rejected her.”
Author continued, “Over the years, each of the daughters became like strangers to one another, and they forgot about their mother. The world became too much for them, and what was most important was forgotten. Ever still, the mother loved them all and tried to usher them home to her.”
The orator then posed a couple of questions. “Should the mother no longer love her children? Should the mother simply move on?”
Without waiting for a reply, Author began a second story. “There once was a man that traveled in darkness and desired a way to light his journey. He went from city to city searching for various forms of light to brighten his path. The smallest city provided the traveler with a matchbook, and the man saw a short distance in front of himself. The second city handed him a candle, and he carried the light with him. The third city gave the nomad an oil lantern, and he controlled the flame’s brilliance. The next city contributed a flare to the man, and others saw him coming from a great distance away. The fifth city donated a flashlight to the wanderer, and his light lasted for weeks. The sixth city presented the wayfarer with a solar light, and the man’s radiant source was renewed each day. The last city, the most advanced of all, handed the journeyman a bottled star, and he had light to the end of his days. Reflecting on his life, the man concluded that all the sources of light were spectacular, and he appreciated each one.”
The storyteller again asked rhetorical questions. “Is not each form of light special? Do they all not ward off darkness?”
Again, Author did not wait for an answer and continued with more tales. Walter listened intently and nodded along with minimal understanding. He hoped that the meaning of his host’s words would soon be revealed.
The chronicles of the planes were many, but there was one that shifted the course of humanity unlike any other. Long ago, the world was full of tranquility, harmony, and goodness. In Pax, the world was new. The days stretched forever, and night never fell. Paxians walked the knolls picking the life-sustaining vegetation. Lumen were born from the good acts of the Paxians and lived amongst them. Their melodious conversations filled the air with sweet music.
But with humans, there is always a desire for opposition, for distinction. The unraveling began with one small comment that was bred from the falsehood of self-importance. “I hate them.” In that moment, the first Murk was born. With wide eyes, the present Paxians watched as a dark form materialized in the air where the words still hung. The sky’s brilliance lowered as the first storm appeared in Pax above the Murk.
The obscure figure reflected the appearance of Kieran, the nidus of the evil words. The Paxians looked upon the obscured representation with intrigue. This would not be the last time Kieran conceived another wicked embodiment. In fact, Paxians would breed scores of Murk.
14
EUPORIA MONDAY 9:46 P.M.
The girls walked down the tunnel slope to The Core. The walls were adorned with large, rusted lanterns that flickered and lit spectacular murals. The massive, spray-painted scenes told the stories of the Forgotten. To anyone familiar with Euporia, they would imagine sorrowful chronicles of the underground inhabitants, but the tales were largely joyful. Dez barely slowed her tempo, but Arabella lagged behind, mesmerized by this subterranean world.
Arabella was particularly interested in a piece of sprayed art that depicted a crowd dancing underneath the stars. These stars were like nothing she had ever seen before. The lights were colorful, undulating, and centered above the people. The rest of the scene was jet-black, making the vivid celestial body the most prominent feature.
“Hey! Keep up. It’s a labyrinth down here. If you get lost, I won’t find you for days,” Dez shouted back. Arabella ran down the stairs carved into the bedrock of the tunnel, taking two at a time, to rejoin her awaiting guide. At the base of the steps was a large wooden sign that read The Forgotten Core: Always Open. Always Welcome.
The tunnel opened into a never-ending corridor lined with varying carts and booths. Every wall in sight was covered in the signature street art. Despite the late hour, the interconnecting hallways were bustling with people dressed in brightly colored and handmade attire. Interspersed were others dressed in the same drab uniform as Dez. These E-Corp employees moved quickly with their heads down, hoping not to be spotted by other colleagues. Despite the better quality of the black-market goods, the techies were ashamed to buy goods from the Forgotten.
To Arabella, there appeared to be no rhyme or reason to the placement of the vendors or their commodities. She fell behind again as she enjoyed the sights around her. The obvious tourist watched as one person bought a Forgotten-designed computer next to another that bought Forgotten-grown carrots. Euporians could find anything in The Market if they knew where to look.
Arabella easily found Dez dressed in her ripped uniform, walking through the sea of uniquely adorned individuals. Dez walked toward a booth with a sign stating Good Feels. Standing behind the plastic counter of the booth was a striking woman in her twenties. Her skin tone matched those painted on the muralled walls of the tunnel the teens had just descended. Even her hair appeared painted with the colors of the rainbow. Arabella had passed many people in this strange and exciting place, but no one quite this eccentric. She’d never felt further from the clean-cut Aurelia.
“Hey, stranger. Long time no see,” the beautiful woman behind the counter called out to Dez.
“Hey, Sophia. It has been a while. I’ve been working late recently. Gotta get my productivity numbers up,” Dez said with an eye roll.
“I’ve been telling you for years to just come join me down here. You could have a booth right next to mine. Life above is not all it’s cracked up to be. You know that. They are wasting your talents, but you could make a real difference down here,” Sophia said.
After hearing the hard truth, Dez responded defensively, “My parents would never make it without my health insurance through E-Corp and the medicines above. You know they both have Euporian Exhaustion. Life isn’t all good feels. You know that better than anyone else. You’ve never had more customers.”
Not wanting to remain a fly on the wall, Arabella interjected with her usual politeness. “Hi. I’m Arabella. Can you help me? I don’t have any emergency money that I can use to get home, but you can have this.” Arabella removed the beautiful Aurelian flag gold pin from her dress and laid it on the counter in front of Sophia.
Ignoring the payment, Sophia stated, “Of course, I can help you. I can help everyone as long as they search for me. You have found me, which is more than many people. Remember, though, it is one thing to find me, but it is another to accept my help. Many people seek me for the quick-fix pills, but I try to tell them that my words are the medicine they seek. Engaging in conversation with me and heeding my advice can guide seekers down the right path.”
She continued, “For instance, take Dez. She visits for the sake of her parents, but she does not receive help for herself. She is tied to the terrible conditions above ground because they are familiar, and she is unwilling to risk moving to The Core. If she did, Dez would be an unstoppable force.”
Shocked by the woman’s candor, Arabella asked, “Do you know where Aurelia is? Can you help me get back to my home?”
Smiling, Sophia responded, “I know all about Aurelia and Aurelians, Euporia and Euporians, and Immerxia and Immerxians. But no, I can’t get you back home. I can get you to somewhere better, or rather, to someone better, though.”
“There is nowhere better than Aurelia. I just want to go home,” Arabella replied almost tearfully.
At that moment, a gruff, bearded E-Corp employee pushed through the inquisitors to Sophia’s counter. “I heard from a friend that you sell happiness. It’s been a rough couple of days, really a rough couple of years.”
Sophia was oddly disappointed with the potential sale opportunity before her. She was more interested in giving wisdom than selling an emotional Band-Aid. The saleswoman began a canned disclaimer given to all first-time customers. “I can sell you artificial relief, but you must know the effect is temporary, and you may feel worse afterwards. I grow all the ingredients in my own garden and purify them in my lab. I do not use any illegal additives, and I can guarantee my products’ safety.”
Bored with her speech, the customer’s eyes glazed over as he peered right through Sophia. She persisted, “This is not true happiness; a pill can only do so much. Happiness only comes from giving up the pursuits of this world. If you would like, I can tell you more. My friend Dez here can assist as well. She’s much more capable than she looks.” Sophia gestured toward the disheveled girl with the torn sleeve.
Backing away from the conversation, Dez blurted, “Leave me out of this! I keep telling you, I had nothing to do with that woman getting better a couple months ago.”
The customer was all too happy to ignore Sophia’s suggestion. “Just sell me the pill so I can get out of this pit.”
Sophia searched through the dispensable pills for the requested medication. Under the clear counter, each pill was a different color and with a different small picture displayed on its coating. She reluctantly retrieved a small yellow pill with a smiley face printed on the surface. “E-Corp credits are no good down here, but what information can you offer me as payment? Knowledge is better than money.”
The downtrodden man sighed as he put his E-Corp wallet back in his E-Corp satchel. “I figured that would be the case.” Before contributing confidential information about his employer, the man looked around the bustling market for other colleagues. Seeing none nearby, he divulged, “I’m a tech in the civil engineering department. Partial plans came across my computer recently for a new factory above this place. It would require filling in the main tunnel entrance to support the massive foundation.”
“Thank you for this information,” Sophia stoically responded. She handed the man his purchased tablet. Without another word, and with the pill clutched tight in his fist, the man retreated into the crowd. “Usually, the information offered is not that helpful. I’ll have to spread the word. Now, back to what’s important,” she said, addressing the girls.
“Okay, Sophia. Stop playing games. We need your help,” Dez exclaimed.
“I know you do. It’s just that I’ve missed our fellowship. I know much of what you need to know, but I must send you to the one who knows far more than I do.”
Becoming impatient, Arabella questioned, “How do we find this person? I just want to go home.”
“Really, you already know them, even if you don’t know that you know them. You just do not know how to find them. Here’s how you do that. You must cross a locus to Animus. There are many loci, but each one takes you to a different location in Animus. Go to the edge of The Market. I have a hunch this locus will take you where you need to go.”
Looking straight at Arabella, Sophia added, “Something tells me you’ve already been to Animus. You will find a locus in the garden of wild blaze that separates The Market from nearby housing. The vegetation will be flashing, so you can’t miss the spot.”
“Locus? Blaze? Animus? This is weird even for you,” Dez joked in disbelief.
Even though Arabella was unfamiliar with the expansive underground community, she sprinted in the direction Sophia was pointing, leaving her valuable pin behind. She navigated through the maze of The Core as if her feet already knew the way. Dez ran after Arabella. Seemingly by luck, the outsider found the garden of blaze. The local did not catch up until the Aurelian was at the back of the garden, reaching toward linear strands of light suspended above the iridescent plants.
Dez grabbed hold of Arabella’s remaining hand in Euporia. Before Dez could stop her, she was pulled into another world.
Lux appeared at the entrance of The Market at the exact moment when Dez and Arabella began their downward climb. The stellar form hung close to the muralled walls, changing colors like a chameleon mimicking the art. Just in the periphery of the girls, Lux gave a quick flash of light above a particular painting.
Lux knew the prompt was successful when Arabella stopped next to the seminal work. The heavenly figure hovered just above the surface of the starry depiction of itself. Arabella only noticed the two-dimensional picture of Lux as the real Lux hid in plain sight. The cosmic body observed Arabella as she graciously admired the new concepts introduced to her unknowingly small world.
As the heroines traversed through The Core, Lux followed inconspicuously. While approaching Sophia’s booth, Lux sensed imminent danger. The ever-perceptive constellation discerned the Switcher at work in Euporia. Dozens of E-Corp security, more ominously known as the E-Corp Brigade, were headed to apprehend Dez. By now, E-Corp had detected her unauthorized use of their computer hardware.
