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2022-02-25 02:22:03E00 reached out to the Transcendents. “Bring them back! Bring my crew back!”
“I can not bring them back,” Memory Bliss replied. “They’ll awake all by themselves the moment they accept their past. Don’t worry, E00. I’ve placed them in the moments of their greatest happiness.”
“The people I know aren’t happy.” E00 refrained from screaming inside the other’s mind. He didn’t want to show how much this affected him. “That means something destroyed their happiness one way or another. If they get to have their hearts and minds broken all over again, that’s punishment, torture, not a gift of gratitude.”
“This is the only way they can ever attain an Apex.”
"Transcendence isn’t everything." E00 was too vehement about it, but he couldn’t help it. "I agree with Tejeda. It’s boring, and sometimes one forgets what it truly means to be alive."
“We transcended life!” Memory Bliss responded with his own shout inside E00’s mind. “We are beyond here and now. I wonder how you managed to Transcend.”
“I’ll say it one more time. Bring them back!”
“And I’ll give you the same response. I can’t. Nobody can unless they conquer their anxieties.”
E00 left the Transcendents and returned his consciousness into the mortal realm.
C1313 was still trying to figure out what had happened to her friends in the hangar bay.
"C1313, I'm relieved you're still here. Do you see the wire that is attached to the drone and where it leads?"
She moved her teal gaze along the thread up to a workbench next to the now petrified Hanga. “Yes, I can.”
"A black button is located near to the mechanism of the pulley. If you feel intimidated by the Transcendents in any manner, or if you believe they will hurt our friends, press that button. It consumes all of the energy contained within the drone."
“Are you willing to kill your own kind?” a voice asked coming from the light silhouette.
"I guess Tejeda's distrust has stuck with me. And you shall all stay inside the drone until I say otherwise." A tide of amber light poured in from the vents and pushed the white light inside the drone. Then it encased the small containment chamber in it. As the amber light left and retreated inside the vents, a spherical grid remained, caging the drone.
“That weakened me,” E00 said through the speakers. “I need you to stay here and watch them for me. I’ll be in and out of their minds, trying to bring them back. It might not work, but I have to try. Or else they might remain there forever. I’ll start with Shayla or Hanga.”
“Why not Tejeda?” C1313 asked.
"He's the one who put us in this position in the first place, so he should be punished the most. He’ll be the last one. Shayla can take command in his stead, and we need Hanga for the drone or other problems that may arise. So they take priority."
E00 avoided the real reason why he didn’t want to dive inside Tejeda’s mind. His captain had prohibited E00 from reading his mind, and what he was about to do was disobedience. He could only think of one reason for wanting to please his captain so much. E00 didn’t want to barge in; he wanted to be let inside as a friend.
Everyone gave away happy vibes, except Tejeda. He was angry, so angry that E00 didn’t have to reach out at all. The fury came rushing out to him. Gnashing his teeth and pressing his eyes shut, Tejeda was a mask of madness. His eyebrows furrowed, almost united in the middle.
Our energy being couldn't leave him like that while he messed around in the brains of others. As a result, he pulled tendrils into Tejeda's mind and tracked his rage. The captain's thoughts battled back, but E00 continued, squeezing through holes and weak spots. Every mind had them, even Tejeda's.
E00 had delved farther than he had intended into Tejeda's psyche, which did not bode well for his promise. His mind resembled the shifting dunes in a desert. The highest peak in one second could turn into a bottomless pit in the next.
Something blurred his vision, but he smelled blood. Even though he hadn’t any smell receptors or, as a matter of fact, any other senses, E00 was able to feel everything through the mind of the others around him.
Tejeda's memories that the Transcendent had sent him into weren't good. But why couldn't he see anything? Suddenly, two stars glowing purple appeared in the dark sky in front of him, as if he was flying in the void of space.
“Stop meddling with my mind,” Tejeda’s voice yelled. “I’ll get out of this on my own.”
In awe, E00 went out. Tejeda knew what had happened to him and that he was living a memory. Even though he struggled, he still didn’t want E00 to see beyond a certain point. But was Memory Bliss right? Was Tejeda on the brink of Bio Transcendence? The mind looked more like a Psionic Transcendence to E00. Reaching 2 Apexes? Was that even possible?
Seeing no point in dwelling over this any further, E00 immediately jumped inside Shayla’s mind, hoping this would be easier. She was a more stable, grounded individual. But something strange lurked inside her mind. Her brain waves changed as if her mind wasn’t the one E00 knew.
Shayla's consciousness regressed into an earlier form, the one she had as a child. E00 realized this only when he saw a young girl with black hair and dark green eyes, no older than 8 years old. How could he persuade a child that she had to battle her way out of a memory?
The younger version of Shayla wore a luxurious dress fit for royalty. When she withdrew a dagger from the folds of her garment, her hand steadied over the handle's swirl of pristine white and ebony, refined and glossy.
Who the void was she before being an outcast?
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The Space Spoon 46. Little Shayla
Dressed in one of her favorite dresses, Shayla danced on a checkered floor. Men and women crowded the stage as she glided upon it. Even though the top of her head barely reached their waists, little Shayla touched the targeted areas for quick, painless kills. Holding the folds of her garment with one hand, she slashed and dashed between the dancers with a dagger in the other. Only when she was the last one standing did she stop.Looking upon the carnage she had painted, little Shayla smiled."Great performance, sweety." Her father drew closer, applauding. "Your show has been perfect lately."Her smile widened at her father’s praise. Nothing made her happier than these rare moments when she had all his attention on her. She blushed, her cheeks now as red as her garment woven with golden threads and shiny ruffles."In the last month, I've gotten perfect scores on every simulation." She beamed at her father. "Would it be possible to reset the computer
The Space Spoon 47. A Jerk Knows Best
Shayla felt an unseen string tethered around her waist. It nudged her ever so slightly, like the Spreahs’ fishing rods having snared algae. The invisible thread carried her to the surface, to reality. All the way up to the moment she finally opened her eyes, she glimpsed the faces of the people she had killed. They all stared at her, accusingly. She had no words to defend herself, and her limbs felt heavy and stiff. Sadness, regret, sorrow. She had them all.When she finally managed to move, she found herself sitting in a weird-looking room. Metallic panels covered the walls and floor of the room, with no windows in sight. A spherical object stood in the middle of the room inside an energy grid.Her legs and back ached, and she rubbed her temples. Three men and a woman seemed frozen in place while another tall, blonde woman paced around the hangar bay. She stopped and outright glared at Shayla now as if she thought she would never wake up again.Even thoug
The Space Spoon 48. Matters of the Heart
Hanga loved the smell of oil and burnt metal wafting through the air in the morning. He was humming a strange song about dark matter that somehow remained stuck inside his mind even though he couldn’t remember where he had heard it or what its name was.Maybe the humming helped him cope with happiness, an unfamiliar feeling for him. He had Maya and some working self-sufficient droids. The guilt of trading Carmen’s scrapes for the formula and that unique metallic alloy dissipated a long time ago, right when he had realized the deal was worth it.He didn't have to turn around to notice Maya had entered the room. Her scent was a combination of persimmon and Valerian jasmine. The perfume reminded him of the Rala River on a hot summer day. He enjoyed its freshness even though he was not much of an outdoors person.Maya gave a whiff. His workplace reeked of neglect and oppressive clutter.“We need to talk.” Her voice had a sing-song qual
The Space Spoon 49. Dragonkin
E00 left Hanga’s memories and waited for him to come back. It was an exhausting activity, and he felt worse every time he did it. Except for the energy loss, he also hated barging inside his crewmates’ minds and witnessing their breaking points. That wasn’t a great way to make friends.Dropping on the floor, Hanga gazed up at the grey, dull, metal ceiling. "I see Maya everywhere I look. I can't face losing her all over again."“I don’t understand what’s with all this fuss about memories. I can access my memory files and relive anything anytime.” C1313 shrugged. “If I don’t like a memory, I can always delete it. Well, sometimes it’s tricky because some rather peculiar protection mechanisms can trigger a full shutdown.” She looked at Hanga. “But I guess no one cares about my issues.”“Not now, C1313,” E00 said. “But after this situation is resolved and we safely get the
The Space Spoon 50. A Spark in the Universe
“What’s going on here?” Tejeda asked. He and Shayla entered, probably after they finished the meal he so much craved for. The hangar bay, which was usually empty aside from Hanga’s workbench, now contained the drone holding the Transcendents, and the crew. Cato was the only one who didn't flinch at the question. “I… I can’t get Cato out of her memories.” E00 sounded exhausted as if he didn’t have enough energy to try again. “I’ve tried everything.” He gave up a sigh. Cato was the last of the Space Spoon's crew still blocked in the past, the gift Memory Bliss had bestowed upon them. “E00, can you bridge our minds and let me inside hers?” Tejeda drew closer to Cato, tilting his head as he watched over her. “I can project your consciousness inside hers. How strong you’ll be there is only up to you.” Tejeda had enough of this situation and the Transcendents. He rolled his eyes and puffed. “I say tomayto, you say tomahto. A simple yes would
The Space Spoon 51. OMG
After safely transporting the Transcendents to the star in the Winth System, Tejeda called for a team meeting. When everyone was seated at the table, he stopped spinning with his chair and coughed to catch everyone’s attention.“First of all, I want to congratulate you all for not dying during your first month on this ship. Under my command, that’s quite the feat. E00, do we have some applause sounds to insert now?”The silence that followed was an answer in itself."I take that as a no. Okay. Moving on. Before starting the actual meeting, I want you guys to tell me who made that wonderful pie. I ate all of it.""I made the pie." C1313 tilted her head in a sign she didn’t understand the praise. "I can take into account the nutritional needs of each individual and prepare something accordingly. But when it comes to taste, well, I don’t have any. My dishes can be bland, I can’t tell.""Well, I must say, your
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It had been two hundred years since Tejeda last set foot on Aunald. Valeria’s Moon looked as bleak as its citizens’ faces. Who could smile under this clouded black sky? The industry was what sustained Aunald’s economy, and almost everybody here worked in mines or factories. It was not an easy life.Drops of water splashed all around his boots as he went down the streets and alleyways. Shayla walked next to him. Her gait was more chaotic as she tried to avoid the black puddles on the sidewalk.At first, it seemed like a good idea for Tejeda to take her along with him. Maybe he could find out why she had that reaction yesterday. Beridian or King Astin? Which of the two was the source of her rage?Tall chimneys atop spherical roofs emitted black smoke. The factories looked the same as when Tejed
The Space Spoon 53. The Battle of the Limbs
Shayla had never seen such a fast charge. The way the Surtamite darted using all of his legs, like a well-tuned concert of violins, seemed surreal. The flesh segments on the myriapod’s front part buckled and then expanded in a steady, fast rhythm as the waves of the sea.Three arms thrust into the floor right next to Tejeda. He rolled over to his other side and took Carmen off his neck. His battle stance was similar to that of a swordsman, but instead of a blade, he held a spoon.A hole in the gray floor remained after the Surtamite withdrew his limbs with wooden shrapnel from its edges flying in the air.“Please, don’t damage the building.” One of the Valerian clerks jumped from his chair. “Everything in here is the property of the Trade Union for the Science Guild.”<
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104. Meat Suit Part 2
The door closes after the last man leaves the pub. Tejeda resumes his previous position and finishes his drink. By now, we are both soaking wet, but neither of us seems to care. My reason is the seven beers. I wonder what his is."Apparently, you're not leaving, and we've run out of time," he says as he turns to face me. His purple eyes sparkle. A chill goes down my spine. "These guys aren't going down without a fight. I might have to die to quench their hunger for vengeance. But the crystal I took is far more significant. It must be safeguarded."Tejeda leans forward, his hand reaching over the bar for the knife the bartender uses for the lemons. He sits again in his chair, gripping the handle with both of his hands, the pointy tip toward his stomach. I have seen this stance before in movies when someone performs seppuku.Filling his lungs with air, his chest expands, and he thrusts the knife right into his belly. I cover my mouth with a hand but not my eyes. I need to see what happe
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103. Meat Suit Part 1
A/N: A Halloween special side story, Meat Suit shows the events through the eyes of a normal, human nerd. Enjoy!***Halloween, the greatest night of the year. The time when I can go out with friends and be awkward as usual without getting a stare.I look in the mirror and see the dashing vampire I transform into every time I put on this ancient outfit. With extreme care, I place a black handkerchief in my pocket, covering the hole that reveals the lining. This year, I intended to get a new costume, but the latest game in the R****** E*** franchise and H***** 3 prevented me from doing so. They were released this year, and I had to get them, and then some.Sorry for not disclosing their names, but even in my diary, I avoid needless advertising. And don't make fun of me for keeping a diary in my thirties. Many people keep diaries, but they call them journals to appear more sophisticated and mature.The black costume’s collar is up to my ears, letting everyone see the red embroidered int
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102. Monster Within Part 2
Rayna followed him through dark alleys, avoiding the city's main thoroughfares and heading for the city's outskirts. There weren't many other people around since it was late and freezing. The two veiled shadows of the night were easy to miss. Illuminated figures appeared randomly through the windows of dimly lit houses.He stopped in front of a derelict house. The sculpted archway stood crooked above the entrance, but he went beneath it without a second thought.Rayna stared at the white structure enveloped in moss to make sure it wouldn’t fall on her head. When the Bralxoid disappeared inside, she swallowed hard and followed him.Doctor Iadfoc invited her into a small, dark room with a single goose-neck lamp illuminating the top of a large table filled with glass vials. He gestured toward a threadbare sofa against the wall. He grabbed a simple wooden chair and sat facing her. For once, someone wasn't looking at her with meaningless pity, for which she was grateful.Iadfoc had a scann
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101. Monster Within Part 1
A/N: Monster Within is a side story taking place about a thousand years or more before the action in the novel. Enjoy!***Rayna sat in front of the mirror, removing her makeup. Who would she discover underneath? Foundation applied in triple layers, contact lenses, even a wig to make certain no one would see her change.Skin patches of different complexions stretched across her face like puzzle pieces jammed together into a chaotic pattern. Some parts of the jigsaw had wrinkles, while others were as smooth as a baby’s skin.Her knuckles turned white as she gripped the edge of the mirror. Her heterochromatic eyes were both different colors than before she wore contact lenses. And her hair... Well, the hair looked more like a wig than the one she threw on the floor. Honey-blonde hair tumbled in waves over her right shoulder. Ruby-red hair, spikey like a hedgehog’s, pointed toward the ceiling from the top of her head. Black, curly strands went down to her chin from her left.She was a mo
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100. Sunsetrise Part 4
Time passes differently on Yacleemb. I can’t say it’s the 56 hours days, the peacefulness of the Spreahs, or Lyam’s company. What I do know is that I’ve lost track of time. Every day, he builds things for the village; he’s happy, full of smiles, and I’m drunk with his genuine blissfulness.Unfortunately, I still have memories and can’t help but feel guilty for not contacting our friends. Wanting to know how things are working out for our crew, I stroll through the forest to the shuttle. After it powers up, a small blinking red light appears on the console. A message from E00.“Shayla, I hope you’ve found Tejeda by now. More than two months have passed, and no news from you. In the time you've been gone, things got worse around here.“Since the day you left, Jackeye has been trapped inside his virtual reality. I can’t say if it’s a voluntary decision or not. He cut me off completely.“Cato took a shuttle and left the Space Spoon about a month ago. The Interplanetary Police files show t
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99. Sunsetrise Part 3
Shayla Bale's POVOnly Tejeda Hajar is capable of disappearing and leaving me with an ambassador’s corpse. Once again, I had to assume the role of acting captain and evade the Interplanetary Police. We are all renegades once more, as we were before Tejeda found us.The crew needs me to steer the ship in the right direction, but my thoughts are far away, following the faceless Nubilae who left us. I lean against the wall and stare at his empty chair, wishing he will appear there, smiling without giving me any explanation as he always does.“Thinking about him won’t bring him back,” E00’s voice echoes from the ceiling speakers. “If you want him here again, you must go after him.”“Don’t get me wrong, E00, I want to. But it was his choice. He left us. Even if I go after him, he may not come back.”“If there’s anyone who can shake him out of the state he’s in, you’re the one.”“Why must you torment me?” I slump in Tejeda’s chair, rubbing my eyes to forestall crying. The gesture is pointle
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98. Sunsetrise Part 2
Reaching out, Carmen’s hand brushes against mine. Even though I’m mad as hell, a rush of electrical discharges takes over my core. That happened every time she touched me since the moment we’d met. Every fiber of my body, carbon and silica alike, crave to have her again by my side.“I tested the spoon. All the results said the same thing: it’s Nubilae. Who was it?”“My sister, Celia.” For the first time, a vein throbs on Carmen’s forehead. But she regains the glazed look. “She died during Iadfoc’s experiment. Many did. The rest went insane. Only I, you, and Rahul remained true Nubilae. Well, now only you and I since you killed Rahul.”“He had multiple run-ins with me and my crew. If I let him continue, surely one of my men would have died. I had to do something.”“No,” Carmen shouts, showing the anger hidden behind her previous blank expression. “I sent him to see how you are and test you. Well, you failed. No Nubilae should value the life of a lesser being over one of his brethren.”
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97. Sunsetrise Part 1
A/N: Sunsetrise is a short story I've written before even starting the novel. It holds the ending of the first volume and is made up of 4 parts. The first 2 parts are from Tejeda's POV and the last 2 parts from Shayla's. Enjoy!***Tejeda Hajar's POV“Happy birthday, Shayla!” I invite her to sit on the blanket next to me with a pat.It took me about a week to create a perfect replica of Genoria Prime inside Jackeye's world.Once every two thousand years, Genoria Prime, a water planet with just a few stretches of land covered in sand, is perfectly aligned to get the ultimate romantic view. One of its suns sets while the other rises, a phenomenon called sunsetrise.To recreate it from my memories inside Jackeye's virtual world involved a few setbacks. But that isn't important anymore.Shayla takes one of the glasses of red wine and fixes her dark green eyes on me. “Whose body are you wearing now?”“You know bodies are just meat suits for me.” I give a sly smirk, looking her over. “Well,
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96. His Blade
Tejeda's lips moved as though they were not his own. “Who’s she?”Shayla placed a hand on his back, touching for the first time the sludgy skin he had in this form. “Tejeda, stop. He’s dead.”Tejeda lifted his head to look at the sky. He remained like that for a long while before murmuring, “Why did you kill him?”"Sorry! Next time," Shayla murmured, sheathing her scimitar, "I'll kill the other guy after he kills you."“How did you know which one was me?”“Really? Is there another idiot who would risk dying for a spoon?”She observed how he flinched but said nothing. There was something wrong with him. Nonetheless, Shayla didn't believe she had the authority to inquire. In any case, she didn't expect a fair answer from him."Did you bring any DNA for me?" Tejeda asked without turning around. "As you can see, I’m in bad shape."Shayla hurled a vial toward him, and he grabbed it with one of his two remaining tentacles.“This is the last one holding the blood of King Astin. Enjoy!”Tejed
