Chapter 1. The Transfer.
When Vinyl opened her eyes in Earthilium, it felt as if she had never left her body. The room was the same, but now there was a man next to her. It felt strange.
"Welcome," said the man, dressed in white and with a strange marking on the neck. She surveyed her surroundings with a mix of suspicion and awe. She spoke directly to him. "Did it work? Have I lost anything?" The scientist looked at her with calm eyes. "You’re fine. According to Liwa, you’re fully present with us." – "As if I’d trust her," she retorted.
The scientist smiled. "You should be able to walk now. Let’s proceed."
He led her to an adjacent room. Everything appeared normal, yet nothing felt right. Everything looked the same, yet it was not. She kept glancing around like a mouse leaving the safety of a hole in the wall.
Introducing himself as Charron, the scientist gestured for her to take a seat.
"Alright," he said. "I know you don’t trust anything around you. I know you don’t trust me nor the others, nor Liwa. But now that you’re here, let’s review what you need to know."
He detailed everything Vinyl needed to understand to adapt to her new environment. Her fear did not leave her. And neither did her suspicion. "I know you’ve taken something from me. What is it?" Charron assured her that nothing had been taken, and nothing would be. The girl smirked. "Of course, you’d say that. And stop smiling like that, puppet!" Charron's face betrayed no emotion.
Growing increasingly uneasy, Vinyl began to tap her feet impatiently against the chair. Seeing her obvious discomfort, Charron thought it best to take her to her new home. A home, he guessed, she'd probably soon reject.
They left the facility on foot. Vinyl noticed she was dressed in her typical light shoes and a long white shirt cinched with a belt. She could not quite remember having put it on, though. And she was quite sure her shoes had been lost during the transfer. Her thoughts swallowed her focus.
This place... Why... Why... Why...? Why is it so unsettling? Why did I come? This is a terrible mistake and there's not even a way back! My body's probably already been recycled. I want this guy gone.
They did not walk for long. "Here we are," Charron announced as she spotted a quaint caravan with a small garden. She looked at it, amazed.
This feels kind of homey... It's the first thing that looks good. Maybe it was ok to come after all... if things are going to be like this, perhaps it's better than what I had back then. I haven't felt physically threatened at least for now...
Her thoughts were interrupted and reality tugged at her as Charron said: "If you require anything, speak to Liwa. Farewell for now."
TO LIWA!?!
She opened her mouth to hurl vile insults at Charron, only to find he had already vanished. She shouted.
"DAMN HER! DAMN HIM! DAMN ALL THESE SOULLESS SHITS!"
Enraged, she hurled the door open and smashed it shut behind her. She paced angrily around the small living space.
Why? Why did I come? I knew that devil would be there. I walked willingly in her den. Now I'm stuck in her web and she can take her time to devour me. Why did I? Why...
It is said that anger is a short-lived folly. As her pacing receded, her nerves relaxed and she was able to focus again.
She did not feel tired and this was odd. Her eye caught sight of the the little garden. It looked nice and inviting. The caravan type of living was definitely her thing, especially if it had a garden. But the thought of having lost part of herself kept itching.
What have I lost? How can I know what’s been taken from me if I don’t remember it? If they took something, it's gone forever. No wonder she doesn't let you take mind backups with you to check. She wants full unchecked control. Fucking tyrant.
These thoughts were paralyzing. If anything had been removed from her memory, her personality, her tastes, her DNA, her likes and dislikes... how would she know? She could feel her heart pounding in her chest.
Strange though. If anything, I can still hate Liwa. That should have been the first thing to go. But she must have plans. She never acts bluntly like a drunk idiot drooling over girls. I know it.
These thoughts raged against her efforts to stay calm, as shadows creeping over the floorboards with the waning sun.
She sat on a fat shabby couch and began to think about everything that had happened. The walk from the facility had seemed brief, merely minutes, yet upon reaching the caravan, the facility was nowhere in sight.
Her eyes wandered. In one corner lay a cozy bed, adorned with a checkered blanket and a yellow pillow. On the other side, there was a little kitchen with everything she needed for her daily routine. She slumped in the light red couch. Her thoughts drifted to Wing.
Is he OK? And the others?
"Please, Liwa! It’s gonna take forever otherwise!" - "Time cannot be hastened. That's a rule," she replied.
Wing couldn’t help but feel like he was being lectured by his aunt. He inexplicably felt her love and affection and could not retort. He sighed. "Alright! Alright!" And Liwa disappeared.
As he stepped outside, the smell of roasted pork belly reached his nose. He yelled. "Yo! That smells crazy good! Could you toss in a few taters?" A deep and powerful voice echoed in reply to acknowledge.
Wearing a Hawaiian shirt, baggy trunks equipped with unusual adventurer gear and flip flops, Wing headed for the cliff. He looked around at the breath-taking landscape, the forests, the mountains, the waterfalls, the rivers, the snow, the sky, the stars, the moon, and the planets.
His heart melted once more, as he took in the beauty of the scenery. This was not all that bad, even if he had had to discard his body. He heard a large thud behind him.
He smiled like the most average kid: It had absolutely been worth it.
Beside the campfire, Arcturus had landed gracefully, folding his immense obsidian wings. The hunt had been good. Next to the potatoes, twelve juicy wild hairy pigs were roasting over a massive campfire.
"You put in a lot of effort, mate! I didn't expect so much! But you’re right; I’m sure this will make her very happy." sad Wing. The deep voice echoed again. "Yeah, I hope she'll be there soon. Those pigs ain't gonna eat themselves."
Wing grinned again excitedly.
Perched on the soft, white edge, Lactea was basking in the setting sun. Soon, the night stars would rise and it would be time for their departure.
Their destination was Sagittarius A*, and Lactea's excitement was palpable. Surely, the others would join her. She reclined on the cotton-like floor, her gaze lost among the stars as she pondered deeply.
What will it feel like? Should I increase my RA level? Will it be painful?
As the sun sunk below the mountains, a fluffy igloo nearby cast its warm lights across the white surface. Lactea slowly tucked her bare feet and legs under the foamy cloud. She waited.
Gradually, the Milky Way awakened and ascended into the sky, stretching its swirling arms across the night sky. Lactea fixed her gaze where she knew the center should be.
I hope it works! I hope she likes it!
She marveled silently at the stars' twinkling dance against the velvet backdrop, before rolling around and peering down over the edge. The tiny lights of a city glittered below.
I really hope they’ll be here soon and that she'll like Markie! That girl is so clever and sweet! She must like her! Although she wouldn't know about twin partners yet...
Magenta closed his book.
"What a day, what a day! Time for a documentary! Are you joining, Ix?" he said. "Yessss!"
Ixia flew over to him and sat beside the bed.
"It’s today, right?" - "Yes, it is." - "Finally! You'll all be together again?" - "Yes, I never thought it would happen. I do hope it'll go well." - "Aren’t you worried for her?" said Ixia. "Should be ok. I know Vinyl can be complicated and I know what she’s been through. But all in all, I think we must trust Liwa." - "She’s wonderful, isn’t she?" - "I wouldn't pretend to know anything about her... But so far, so good."
As their discussion went on, they soon realized they had been paying little attention to the documentary. It told the history of the number '0'; humans had started that journey in a land called Mesopotamia and had needed thousands of years and several civilisations to reach an understanding of that number and how to actually use it.
Thousands of years. Just for such a mundane number. It's incredible.
Captivated since his younger days by history, Magenta pondered human ingenuity and how, through the ages, humanity had transcended physical limitations with consciousness and creativity. Without nature’s gifts in strength or camouflage, humans used language, collective wisdom, and introspective thought. They not only confronted but also conceptualized complex challenges, crafting solutions of their own.
Humanity had however led itself close to extinction; as all of humanity's tools, nature's gifts had many uses. And those tools had been misused - very few humans understood how near they had been to losing everything by failing to see and heed. Much like a large ship on water, once humans set off on a course, they have trouble adjusting.
"Humans really faced a tough battle," Magenta observed. "Just look at their struggles. They had to fight for everything. Even water! Yet, they found time to think about the number '0'." Ixia nodded. "And limited space!" he exclaimed. "Imagine if two people wanted to build at the same place! What if they couldn’t work out a solution? The smarter one could back down, but why should you reward the stupid one? Should they both give up? Should someone else get the spot? There is no fair outcome! Yet they made it and laid the foundations for Liwa to appear. How did they manage it?"
Ixia took pleasure in seeing Magenta’s passionate outbursts, more so than engaging in the debate herself. She shook her head, suggesting she did not know. A thin veil of dust was sprinkled onto the bedside.
She cleared the dust and cozied up against Magenta. He smiled at her, as she suddenly grew larger. "That’s a more convenient size," he said, "and it’s more comfortable without the wings, I bet." She giggled as she gazed into his eyes. "Come here," he murmured, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead, then softly slid down to her lips. Goosebumps.
They both fell asleep for a short nap. The documentary faded away, as the name Brahmagupta was being mentioned.
A loud knock at Magenta’s door interrupted their moment. Opening one eye, he felt Ixia still beside him, sleeping peacefully.
A pale blue ceiling lamp cast its light in the misty room. He yawned. "I think they’re here..." Yawning together with him and stretching her arms, Ixia looked up and shook her head. "Damn it, this was a good moment. Let's pretend you have explosive diarrhea?" - "We're definitely not doing that" - "You're no fun!"
Eventually, they made their way to the door. Upon opening it, Magenta was greeted by a group of inquisitive individuals. The eldest of them looked at him, perplexed. "I hope we’re not interrupting anything." Magenta's mind darted to Ixia's suggestion, then to his pants. Relieved that all appeared to be in good order, he quickly replied: "No, no! Please do come in!"
As the group walked past him, he heard a light buzzing sound near his ear. "Sure I can't change your mind? I'd rather have them gone," said Ixia.
Magenta felt of course as she did, but he also enjoyed his scientific research. Finally making up his mind, he whispered. "Okay, fine. But let's think of that allows me to keep my dignity." She sighed, visibly disappointed. "Ok..." Magenta thought he had heard a muffled giggle.
Grimur, the old man, took the lead. "Magenta, we’re on the verge of possibly confirming the existence of the Garden of Eden. Whether it was a real place, an embellished place, or no place at all. The RK of the Bible is getting close to 80." Magenta raised an eyebrow. "Really? Has Liwa found evidence regarding Gihon and Pishon?"
A lady called Pasha intervened. "Liwa found clues, indications of what might have been ancient riverbeds." Magenta’s interest was growing unexpectedly. "And that converge in a possible.... Garden?" Grimur sighed. "Possibly. Liwa doesn't know yet; she merely believes so. RK 80 does indeed leave us with 20% uncertainty."
"You came to visit to discuss these new findings, but without anything to lead us to the Garden?" - "Well, we thought you’d be -" But Grimur was interrupted by Ixia's loud squeaky voice.
"Maggie! Leonardo is ready to speak with you in your study. Could you come up, please?" - "On my way!" he said. "Please excuse me, I really can’t keep him waiting." And he rushed up the stairs.
"Did he say Leonardo?" said Grimur. "Yes, that’s what I heard. I wonder what they would discuss," said a weasel-faced individual. "Well, that’s the problem. With Leonardo, there’s always something you can discuss and nothing you can’t." said Pasha. They chuckled as Ixia approached their group, looking extremely, perhaps overly, apologetic.
"Excuse me, my very bestest of gentlepeople guests," said Ixia, "but this is most certainly likely to be extremely very long. Would you mind coming back?" - "We can do that," said Grimur. He was not fooled, but he did not fancy himself contradicting or questioning Ixia. She was, after all, pleasing to his experienced eye. Besides, he knew better; she had a dubious reputation.
As they were walking out, Grimur whispered discreetly to her. "He does that too often, and we all know it." The pixie looked utterly shocked and offended. "And yet you still come," she retorted with a grin and a buzz of her wings. "Indeed, we do. When we can get him involved, he is of great help. And when we cannot, he’s of great company. Be well, Ms. Ixia!"
As the last of them had left, Magenta reappeared behind Ixia and hugged her. "I told you, they would know." - "Yeah, but come on; I mean, what was that act you put on? It was like you intended for them to not believe you." he said. "Still better than telling them we wanted to snug or meet better friends." - "My impossible love, how I adore you!" said a beaming Magenta.
After a thought, he said: "Even if Liwa had finally reached RK 100 on the Bible, my friends would still come first. And you would come before them." She turned around to face him. And immediately, his gaze was swallowed by the deep viridian green of her eyes. He shivered.
"And I love you too."
