The Third Cycle of Time-Chapter 17

From: Cheryl Baumgartner(C Baumgartner, Posted Date: Jul 23rd, 2011

Kai sat on the bank of Lake Tragedy with his mother.  It was an apt name for it since the body of water occupied what was once New Duha’naur and the valley that had separated the old city from the new city.  Several new stablizing towers rose from its depths.

“We found out 5 years ago that our own sun was being affected by Little Blue’s gravity field.  The only option was to stabilize it.  The scientists used Alteri production methods and within 3 years had the secondary system in place.” Adana said quietly.

“Is it stable?” Kai asked.

“Yes the lake is fed by the North Sea through underground tunnels.  The incoming water flows through turbines which generate energy.  The energy from the incoming water powers the turbines that control the out going water.  This creates a continuous energy feed.  The excess energy not needed to power the turbines powers the stabilizer systems.”

“What if the turbines fail?” He questioned.

“There are solar back ups all over Brunnis.  With two suns we have no shortage of solar power.  This stabilizer system will still be here long after we are gone.”  She said sadly.  “Brunnis has changed Kai.  Our environment grows more hostile to us each day.  The Nomads who once lived in the Gravity Desert have abandoned it.  They have taken over the old insect burrows and now live underground because of the heat on the surface.   Several of those in the coastal cities are also moving underground.  Even here we feel the higher temperatures.  Selai has told the Scientists to turn their attention to our survival.” 

“It’s a war on two fronts, then.  The insects out there, and our own planet against us here.  We are winning against the insects, but losing the battle for our home.” 

“Kai, what you are doing is all important.  You have driven them off of many worlds, these worlds are grateful.  Your report to the Council yesterday was more than just a report, we can now see the light at the end of the tunnel where this insect war is concerned. 

But our future is uncertain.  Eventually Brunnis will have to be abandoned.  When that happens we will need someplace to go.”

 

 

Poet, or rather Poetman as he was known now, approached the library.  He thought back to that day so many decades ago, the day that changed his life, the day he had accepted a dare and snuck into the reading chamber for the Burst of Life.  He had been so sure of what he had seen.

A dead man was walking the streets of Duha’naur, a dead man in black.  He could still clearly remember every detail of the huge bug that the dead man had arrived in.  He thought again of what would happen when the two suns were released from the imprisoning stabilizer fields.

But now he was no longer sure.  Decades of all manner of hallucinogenic drugs were causing him to doubt himself.  He popped another piece of Gongsplanger Root into his mouth and made his way inside.  He noticed things were quiet. 

The lone librarian started to stand at his entrance, seeing it was simply another roothead she sat back down.  She knew that they often came into the library during the hottest part of the day to escape the heat.  As long as they didn’t damage anything she saw no reason to run them out.  She gave her attention back to her filing.

Poetman tried to remember the way to the reading chamber.  Left, no right he thought.  He shambled along until he spotted the icon above the door.  This is it he thought to himself touching the pad.  He never paid any attention to the faded subtext which read “Volunteers Only.”

The librarian blinked at the notification on her computer “Volunteer file successfully added.”  She sat there in confusion for a moment.  No more volunteers were being accepted.  The people had demanded the practice be stopped after the attack on Duha’naur.  She activated the comm link and reported what had happened to the Temple.

The file that had just been added to the Burst of Life was corrupted.  All of Poetman’s memories had indeed been captured at the moment of his death, so had the chemicals altering his brain.  The file that was Poetman had no idea that it was simply another piece of data.  As far as it knew, it was alive.  It began migrating throughout the entire Library database as it tried to find its way to the reading chamber.

 

 

“Adana I hate to ask this of you.  I know how important it is to the family to spend time together when Kai is home.  But we have an emergency.” Selai was frantically speaking over the comm link.

“I will come Selai, I know that there aren’t that many of us who are trained anymore.  Let’s just hope that we can find it.” Adana replied as she broke the link.

“You’re leaving?” Zinn asked.

“It’s an emergency, Zinn.” She said.

“Can’t it wait until morning, after our son leaves?”

“Zinn, do you remember me telling you about that file I saw, the future Kai?  That file has never been found.  Now there is another file in the system that does not belong there.”

“It’s easy enough to delete a file Adana.” Zinn countered.

“Not this one, it’s a Burst of Life file.  It’s traveling through the entire Library affecting other files as it goes.  We have to find the original file.  Other than myself and Selai, there are only three people with the training needed to look at those files.  I have to go.”

Adana took her personal transport to the Library and was there within minutes.  Selai was waiting outside pacing.

“The librarian noticed a man enter the library just moments before she received a notification of the new file.  The system still works perfectly so the body was already cremated by the time I got here.” Selai explained.  “We don’t have any idea of who it is.  The librarian’s description could fit anyone.  All we know is that it is a male.  We are finding clearly labeled files that have the wrong information contained within.”  Selai was leading the way to the reading chambers.

“So we have to search through all of them then.” Adana said.

“Yes.  We have to find out which file is the source of the contamination.” Selai said as she stopped by a door.  “Chime me if you find anything.”

Adana went to the next chamber.  She went inside and sat in the chair steeling herself for what was to come. She reached out to place her hand on the display.  Before she could do so a male voice interrupted her.

“High Warrior Delegate Adana? What are you doing in the library so late?”  The man was very familiar although his style of dress was very strange.  “You don’t recognize me?  It’s me, IPoet, but all grown up now.”

“Poet? What are you doing here?” Adana asked in confusion.

“Sad to say but I am lost.  I used to know this place like the back of my hand, but it’s changed a bit in the years since I have been here.  You won’t tell on me will you? Of course you won’t.

You were one of the few who never scorned me.  Everyone else called me crazy, but you always treated me with kindness.  I never understood why, but your kindness was always welcomed.”

“I know that you aren’t crazy, I saw the same file that you saw.”

“The big bug? And the dead man too?”

“The bug is a ship called Lexx.  The dead man is from the future, his name is Kai.” Adana said.

“You did see it!  So many people have called me crazy, I’ve begun to believe it myself.  That’s why I’m here.  I was looking for the Burst of Life reading chamber.  I’ve given up on that idea.  Now I’d just like to find the exit and go home.” Poet said.

“Poet, I remember that you always loved the library.” Adana said softly.

“Oh I do! There is so much information here.  So many things to spur the imagination!  It’s another complete world.  You can lose yourself here.” Poet said.  “I kept avoiding it but then today I had to come back.  When I take a break from trying to find my way out of here, I sit down and read a little.  It made me remember why I so loved this place.  I kind of regret that last bit of Gongsplanger root.  It would have been nice to take this all in clear-headed.”

“You took Gongsplanger? Before you, before you came in here?”

Poet gave her an embarrassed nod.

“Poet I have something to tell you, I don’t want you to get upset.  I want you to remain calm.  Can you do that for me.”

“Well that pretty much guarantees I’m going to flip out.” Poet responded.

“Think of how much you love the library Poet.  Suppose you could spend eternity right here in the library surrounded by all this knowledge you love.  Wouldn’t that be nice.” Adana suggested.

“I suppose.” He said suspiciously.

“That is what has happened Poet.  You found the Burst of Life but it wasn’t the reading chamber.  You found the volunteer entrance.” She said gently.

“Then I would be dead.  The dead in the Burst of Life don’t have any awareness...”

“Poet your mind was affected by the Gongsplanger.  You are somehow out of the file and in the library’s network.  You are a part of the Library.” She explained.

“I’m stuck here? This is where I will spend eternity?” He yelled.

“You are a part of something that you love and you’re not stuck in the Burst of Life files.  You have free run of the library.  You are talking to me right now as a holographic projection.  You can interact with everyone who comes through the doors.  You can talk to them, advise them, make suggestions on what to read.  Assist them just like you always loved to do.” Adana told him.

A smile slowly spread across his face.  “Yes I can, can’t I and when the library closes for the night I will have all the manuscripts and books, all the centuries worth of knowledge in the database to keep me company.”

“And as long as there are Brunnen G on Brunnis, you will never be alone.  I believe that this makes you our head librarian.”